I also heard the short interview with Steve Knightley just before 1am on Tony Livesey's Five Live show....he categorically didn't diss the Mumfords or refer to them as froth.

Before everyone gets their knickers in a twist I just listened again to make sure I hadn't mis-heard.

The discussion on the programme was provoked by Laura Marling and Mumford and Sons winning Brit Awards and Livesey's assertion that "Folk music is the new rock'n'roll".

After refuting Livesey's assertion that the folk scene had "gone mainstream again" Steve went on to say "These aren't people that you see in folk clubs. It's great that quality acoustic-based material is being played and heard by people, but it's not really the folk scene that's gone mainstream.....there's a certain sound people are making that you might call folky....but The Mumfords aren't from the folk scene. They're just using those sounds and textures which is brilliant. But I just think it's just a bit of a headline people are using and it will fade and become itself again.


When asked whether people who are close to the folk scene guard it jealously he replied

"No, not in the slightest, I think we want to spread the word but we just don't want it misinterpreted. As I said, it's marvellous, these are fantasticly well crafted songs played on acoustic instruments but whether they're connected to what we do for a living or what the scene's been doing for years (??)....I suspect we'll carry on doing it after the froth has died down a bit really"

There was no mention whatsoever of others more worthy continuing to struggle....