Asked about the religious imagery on the record, the band's frontman told The Big Issue that the record is "not a statement of faith" and "is more social than religious, verging on the philosophical".
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"We don't feel evangelical about anything," Mumford said. "Really. Other than music.
"The lyric you said, 'I set out to serve the Lord', no-one realises it's pluperfect tense. The lyric is 'I had set out to serve the Lord'. It's looking back at a time when that happened."
He added: "I don't even call myself a Christian. Spirituality is the word we engage with more. We're fans of faith, not religion.
"We're just writing songs that ask questions. Sometimes the best way to go about exploring a question, things we wouldn't necessarily talk about in conversation, is by writing a song."
Read the full interview with Mumford & Sons in The Big Issue, out now.
The Big Issue is sold by homeless and vulnerably housed vendors for £2.50, with £1.25 of the cover price going directly to the vendor.
Watch the video for Mumford & Sons' 'I Will Wait' below:
