G324 - Mumford & Sons - Hopeless Wanderer - Folk Music Video Analysis

Mumford & Son's music video for their single Hopeless Wanderer is mainly a performance video, with aspects of a symbolic video evident throughout. This is due to the way in which the band are depicted to be performing the song for the duration of the video, whilst their methods of doing so and the tone of the video changes over time. This makes it seem apparent that the different sections of the video all symbolise different things.

The video appears to be centre around the folk-rock genre due to the main folk tone combined with the crescendo at the end of the song which is accompanied by footage of the band destroying their instruments. This suits the aesthetic that the band have developed over many years within the industry, intertwining two distinct genres almost seamlessly. Mumford & Sons have revolutionised the folk-rock genre and their release of Hopeless Wanderer helped to signify their change in sound from classic folk to heavier rock.

The typical narrative of folk/rock videos is based around a performance which is clearly shown throughout this video. In addition, it is almost unheard of for a folk music video to not include the artist and it is clear within Hopeless Wanderer that this has not been subverted within the video. The typical narrative of folk music tends to focus on the simple struggles of everyday life, such as love and self-discovery, whilst the typical narrative rock music focuses on combating these struggles. This is partially seen within the clip, however the narrative appears disjunctive and unstructured in this manner.

Mumford & Sons' use of iconography is sparing and subtle yet still visible within the video. Their use of the boat which they all sat in symbolised the hopelessness and travel which links to the song title itself - Hopeless Wanderer. Their video which rises in eccentricity subverts the norm of folk music videos which tend to remain calm and relaxed throughout. This helps to emphasise the presence of the rock element within the song. Despite seeming abnormal, this style has become a regular occurrence for the band, being mirrored in their videos for Winter Winds and The Wolf and therefore aids in the recognisable nature of the video.

The video for Hopeless Wanderer adopts the theme of self-discovery, indicated through the way in which the band's attitude changes throughout the video and through the shot of the two band members kissing. This indicates discovery of sexuality which then relates back to the overarching theme of sexuality within the video. This all reflects the bands discovery of their new sound. However, it is clear that there is no real narrative structure to the video and any narrative theories have been avoided.

It begins by introducing each of the band members with their instruments in the middle of a sunny meadow to symbolise peace and freedom before proceeding to show the band walking down a dirt track with all of their equipment, symbolising change and progression. The video then goes back to focusing on the band playing in the meadow before a change in location to inside a barn is used to indicate the way they have become enclosed by the music that once made them so free. These three locations are used intermittently throughout the majority of the video to allow for easier
understanding of what each symbolises. At 2:50, a new location is introduced to the video of the band being huddled in a small boat in the middle of a lake. This symbolises the band's ambition to change through the use of the boat and also indicates isolation through their stranded in the lake. The video then progresses to show the men back in the barn and it is at this point that the two men kiss. Immediately after this, the band are shown to be performing on a stage, evidently making a mockery of themselves and the folk genre. This symbolises how they have realised how their connection with folk music has prevented them from gaining as much success as they could have done if they had made music for a different genre. Following this, the video shows the band in the barn destroying their instruments. This indicates the way in which they are abandoning their old sound. The video ends with the band walking away from the camera down the dirt path. This symbolises the band's moving onwards in their career and leaving their past behind.

Within the music video, Mumford and Sons create a non-stereotypical representation of sexuality. This is achieved through presenting the two men that kiss as masculine through their clothing and beards, rather than as stereotypically effeminate. This allows the audience to understand the futility of stereotypes without having this opinion forced upon them. The band have been constructed in a way which makes them appear young at heart through their high energy performance. This is important as it allows them to appeal to a younger audience as well as retaining older fans. However, due to the lack of narrative structure, it is difficult to deduce which shots are most important within the video and why this would be the case. In addition, it does not appear that the video directly reflects the lyrics in any way and therefore the narrative becomes even more confusing throughout.

At the beginning of the video, the editing is slow-paced to reflect the calm of the folk aspect of the song. However, as the song continues, the pace of the editing increases before slowing at the end again. This keeps the editing on beat of the song for the duration of the video. There are several times throughout the video that the camera pans around to the left or right. This is done to allow the entire band to be seen within a single shot which helps to present the equality amongst the members.

The target audience for this music video appears to be middle class males and females between the ages of 17 and 35 due to the unstructured narrative, the calm atmosphere becoming high energy and the style of music. The most likely access method for the fans of the band is through their YouTube channel which is frequently updated with new content such as music videos and live performances of their music. However upon the video's first release, it may have been available on some Sky TV channels. The video helps fans to picture the bands change in demeanour and calls upon them to support the changes being made.

The record company's role within the video is to help continue Mumford &Sons' development from folk to rock music efficiently. This is important for them as in changing their sound, the band risk losing audience members and fans from the earlier stages of their career. Therefore, the record label need to ensure that the video targets both the old audience and any new potential audience members to prevent loss of potential earnings. Mumford & Sons' online presence has been growing over the years through the creation of a Facebook page, a twitter account and a much more regularly active YouTube account. This has enabled them to reach out to a wider target audience as their music has progressed.

Completing this analysis has allowed me to fully understand the way in which the band has constructed one of their music videos to encompass two very different genres. This will help me when it comes to creating my own music video as I will be able to use some of the most effective aspects within my own to improve its quality.