Mumford And Sons frontman Marcus Mumford has expressed his delight that the band’s track, “White Blank Page”, is being featured in protest videos against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
His comments follow the deployment of ICE officers to American cities as part of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation initiative.
Notably, around 2,000 federal agents have been sent to Minnesota, and have faced significant criticism regarding their aggressive tactics.
Agents fatally shot two US citizens in Minneapolis just weeks apart: Renee Good on 7 January and Alex Pretti on 24 January.
Mumford told Big Issue: “One of our songs, ‘White Blank Page’, has been used a bit by some anti-ICE protest videos, which I’m thrilled about.
“I cried watching the news … after what looked like the execution of Alex Pretti. As a band that’s spent a lot of time in America, we’re really concerned about what we see.
“I think it’s an absolute disgrace what ICE is doing in the States and not reflective of what we know to be the values of most Americans we’ve ever come across.”
Pop stars such as Billie Eilish, Olivia Dean and Bad Bunny used their speeches at this year’s Grammy Awards to condemn ICE.
Bad Bunny also used his Super Bowl half-time show, which was almost entirely in Spanish, as a tribute to his Puerto Rican heritage and culture.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Enjoy unlimited access to 100 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music
Sign up now for a 30-day free trial. Terms apply.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
A huge sign seen during the show displayed the words “the only thing more powerful than hate is love”, and he ended his performance by saying “God bless America”.
Mumford, whose band have recently released their sixth studio album Prizefighter, also spoke about being sober for seven years, which he said had given them a greater sense of professionalism.
The California-born singer explained: “It’s been great. I love it.”
Since forming in the 2000s, Mumford And Sons have gone on to achieve five UK top 40 singles and three number one albums, their best-known songs include “Little Lion Man”, “I Will Wait” and “Believe”.
The full interview with Mumford And Sons can be read in this week’s Big Issue, on sale from street vendors now.
