Mumford & Sons march ahead for third Number 1 album with RUSHMERE

Mumford & Sons take an early lead for this week’s Official Albums Chart Number 1 with RUSHMERE, their first studio release in seven years. 

RUSHMERE serves as the band’s first album as a three-piece; the group now comprising Marcus Mumford, Ted Dwane and Ben Lovett following the departure of former banjoist and lead guitarist Winston Marshall in 2021. 

Previously, Mumford & Sons earned two chart-topping LPs: 2012’s Babel and 2015’s Wilder Mind. 2009 debut Sigh No More and 2018’s Delta both peaked at Number 2 in the UK.

To celebrate the release of the album, Mumford & Sons will play Manchester's Aviva Studios, home of Factory International, for Amazon Music UK City Sessions on Wednesday April 2. The intimate show will be available to stream live on Prime Video and the Amazon Music UK Twitch channel.

MORE: Where every Mumford & Sons song and album has charted in the UK

The Darkness look to score their highest-charting album in 22 years, with Dreams On Toast tracking for a Number 2 debut. The British rock outfit’s eighth studio album could become their best-performing work since debut Permission To Land, which topped the chart for four weeks in 2003. 

Ariana Grande’s former Number 1 album eternal sunshine eyes a return to the Top 5 following the release of its brighter days ahead deluxe edition (3). Of its six new tracks, three look set to enter this week’s Official Singles Chart Top 20: twilight zone, intro (end of the world) and Hampstead. 

Virginia-born singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus expects to earn a solo career-best with fourth studio LP Forever Is A Feeling this week (4). In 2023, Lucy topped the Albums Chart with the record as part of boygenius, alongside Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers. 

Manchester rapper Nemzzz hopes to reach new heights, too. Second studio album RENT’S DUE could become his first Top 10 (6), following the success of 2024’s DO NOT DISTURB (17). 

On his way to a seventh UK Top 40 album, Lil Durk’s ninth LP Deep Thoughts is set to make its debut (11). The Illinois rapper previously enjoyed Top 40 records with 2019’s Love Songs 4 The Streets 2 (39), 2020’s Just Cause Y’all Waited 2 (32), 2021’s The Voice (26) and Lil Baby collaborative project The Voice Of The Heroes (5), 2022 release 7220 (6) and 2023’s Almost Healed (12). 

MORE: Mumford & Sons announced for Amazon Music UK City Sessions

British soul band Stone Foundation might be celebrating their highest-charting collection to date with The Revival Of Survival (18). The group already boast five Albums Chart entries: 2017’s Street Rituals (25), 2018’s Everybody Anyone (30), 2020’s Is Love Enough? (39), 2022 release Outside Looking In (27) and 2023’s Standing In The Light (73). 

And finally, Butler, Blake & Grant hope to land a first collaborative Top 40 with their eponymous debut (33). The supergroup comprises former Suede member Bernard Butler, Teenage Fanclub frontman Norman Blake and singer-songwriter James Grant.

See this week's Official Albums Chart Update Top 100 here from 5.45pm.