TOP folk band Mumford & Sons will play two Suffolk dates in June, it was announced yesterday.

The band, whose hits include Little Lion Man and The Cave and the album Sigh No More, are at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds on Monday June 4, and at Lowestoft’s Marina Theatre on Tuesday, June 5.

A statement from the band said: “We want to stop off in towns not usually heavily toured by bands, and celebrate the people, food and music that inhabit them.

“We’re keen to promote the town’s local businesses, and we’ll be using the local bars and venues for after-show parties, while working closely with the local people to get everyone involved in making these shows spectacular.

“There will be a host of our friends playing too... It should be a whole lot of fun.”

A spokesman for the Marina said: “This is massive for us.

“We are absolutely over the moon to have a band as big as this coming.”

The gigs are part of a Gentlemen of the Road Stopover Tour which also features shows in Cardiff, Folkestone, Huddersfield, Gateshead and Galway.

Formed in London in 2007, Mumford & Sons rose to fame as part of the capital’s folk scene which also included artists such as Laura Marling and Noah and the Whale.

The line-up is Marcus Mumford (banjo, vocals, dobro), Winston Marshall (banjo, vocals, dobro), Ted Dwane, (vocals, double bass) and Ben Lovett (vocals, accordian, keyboard).

The band’s name is said to originate from the fact that, when it was formed, Marcus Mumford was the most visible member, and the name invoked the sense of an “antiquated family business”.

Tickets for all dates will go on sale through Musicglue.com from 9am on April 20 and on general sale from April 21.

The Marina spokesman urged fans to check online for ticket sales rather than turning up at the theatre.