Music Video Analysis of "Hopeless Wanderer" by Mumford & Sons

As is the band's usual style, Mumford & Sons' "Hopeless Wanderer" consists of a folk/country music sound, with elements of rock. The music video itself has the actual band members singing while actors mime the song in a comical fashion. (The actors present have appeared in films such as 'Hangover' and 'Horrible Bosses'). The real band is not present throughout the video. The lyrics of the song are upbeat in their own right - perhaps this is why the direction of the music video was tailored towards a more comical performance; it's a performance that could only have been carried out convincingly by actors perhaps, whom have appeared in various comedy films prior to this video. It is a light-hearted song that seeks instill energy within the listener.  The actors themselves are fairly well-known amongst mature audiences; perhaps they were also used as a means of drawing in greater attention from viewers to the real band.

The visual content of the music video is that of the dusty, seemingly American outback; the colours present are generally browns and yellows, indicating that the desired setting and indeed place of filming is that of rural locations and perhaps set in a time or place where the usually cold tones of modern, urbanised society are not present. The overall effect of this is that the music video seems warm, comfortable and light-hearted; the music video and indeed the lyrics themselves are not intended to insight any brooding thought as it is energetic, enjoyable and homely in its visual and audible content.

At the beginning of the song we see the (acting) band members walking with their respective instruments, some stumbling with them. They appear to be nomadic; traveling without a place to rest. The look exhausted. Indeed, they are wandering; The music video's title states this clearly enough. This reveals a visual-lyrical link that is present, which strengthens the narrative and lyrics of the music video as the message is being carried out by the actors on screen to bring about a complete representation of what the actual band's song stands for.

As is a convention of folk/country bands, the music video is shot in rural locations; dry-grass fields, barns, cabins; these are all locations commonly associated with country and folk music - a director's decision that was made with the intention of strengthening the song's position as a country/folk-rock musical work. The style of dress of the actors is also constructed to suit this rural image; the general mise en scene of the music video has been constructed to abide by the conventions of Mumford & Sons' musical genre - it created solidarity in the purpose of their work and in the fanbase that the band targets as its primary consumer.

The actors themselves have been directed to appear similar to each of the real band members. For instance, the lead singer and the cello player have similar facial hair to the real band members who would be in their place; The actors have been directed to mimic the behavior and appearance of the real band members, as a means of promoting the band's physical image and thereby its brand-image.