Within the past year, Mumford & Sons have become one of the biggest success stories in rock. On the strength of their two big singles – the joyous "The Cave" and "Little Lion Man," which features the irresistibly bleep-worthy refrain "I really fucked it up this time, didn’t I, my dear?" – their first album, Sigh No More, has sold more than 1.6 million copies, including a million this year alone. In the August 4, 2011 issue of Rolling Stone, on stands now, the year's biggest new band takes us along for the ride.

By Josh Eells

Mumford & Sons photographed by James Minchin III in Telluride, Colorado, June, 2011.