Mumford & Sons jealous of Swift's success

Mumford & Sons jealous of Swift's success

Mumford & Sons have joked that Taylor Swift is a "b***h" for beating their record for the fastest selling album in 2012.

The popular British folk rock band has had huge success in 2012, including bagging a number one album with Babel in countries around the world.

Banjo player Winston has explained how chart success isn't their aim with the material they release, although being beaten by young country pop star Taylor left them slightly bitter.

"I don't think it was particularly our ambition for Babel to hit number one, but it's always a nice thing," Winston told NME magazine. "We had the fastest selling album of the year in the US, until Taylor Swift beat us. B***h!"

Just as number one singles aren't what drives Mumford & Sons, neither do they aspire to playing huge venues. Winston revealed how small, intimate venues are their preferred place to perform. Winston explained how playing arenas like the Hollywood Bowl can be a soulless experience.

"We didn't have the material for arena tours before. It's a blessing and a curse, because it's hard to make it intimate in an arena," he explained. "The success of the band means that we actually p**s people off if we carry on playing theatres, but for our own souls, we want to."