Dharohar Project, Laura Marling & Mumford & Sons

The Artist

This EP is a one-off collaboration between three very different acts brought together through cross-cultural exchange. Dharohar Project is a Rajasthani folk ensemble drawing on centuries-old Indian classical and traditional music, blending instruments like the sarangi, dholak, and harmonium with regional vocal styles. Laura Marling is an English singer-songwriter known for her literate, understated folk records and a voice that carries wisdom beyond her years. Mumford & Sons, the London quartet that helped drive the late-2000s folk revival, were riding the wave of their debut Sigh No More when this project came together. For all three, this EP represents a rare detour: an experiment in what happens when British folk meets Rajasthani tradition.

The Album

Recorded live during a collaborative session tied to the Roundhouse and BBC Radio 3's cross-cultural programming around 2010, this four-track EP grew out of an initiative connecting British and Indian musicians. The performances were captured live with minimal overdubs, preserving the room sound and the audible communication between players working across language and tradition. Two of the tracks reimagine songs from the Marling and Mumford catalogues by fusing them with Rajasthani folk pieces, while the other two lean fully into the Dharohar Project's repertoire. The result is short, unpolished, and exploratory, less a proper release than a document of a genuine musical meeting.

Listen For

The mashup structure. The opener "Devils Spoke/Sneh Ko Marg (Live)" and "To Darkness/Kripa (Live)" both stitch a Mumford or Marling song to a Rajasthani piece. Notice where the seams are, and whether the transitions feel like collision or conversation.

Live room ambience. Listen for audience presence, breath between phrases, and the unpolished edges that a studio mix would smooth away.

Vocal traditions in dialogue. Marcus Mumford's percussive folk delivery and Laura Marling's cool phrasing sit alongside the ornamented, melismatic Rajasthani vocal style. Pay attention to how they trade space rather than blend.

The rhythmic engine. Dholak and other hand percussion drive the pulse in ways a standard folk kit never would. Track how the groove shifts when Indian percussion takes the lead.

Instrumental textures. Sarangi, harmonium, and traditional strings weave through the arrangements, offering drones and countermelodies that reframe familiar folk chord progressions.