Tour news: Mumford & Sons

Mumford & Sons are heading back to New Zealand.

They were last here in 2012 for a banjo-heavy night of singalong acoustic folk jams.

But there might be a few less banjos in sight when Mumford & Sons perform at Vector Arena on November 10.

That's because the celebrated band's latest album, May's Wilder Mind, has barely a banjo in sight.

Instead, the London quartet - fronted by Carey Mulligan's husband, Marcus Mumford - ditched the acoustic instruments and upright bass on their third album, and instead embraced more electric instrumental methods.

The changes seem to have gone down well with fans and critics: our reviewer said Mumford & Sons had "turned their electric guitar dial round to U2, and given a nod to Chris Martin and his emotive, anthemic tendencies".

"They've found themselves wandering somewhere between the twisted classic rock reinvention of The War On Drugs, and arena-winning glimmer of Coldplay, with Marcus Mumford's vocals couched amid a newly propulsive rhythm section, some very pretty electric guitar and sweeping washes of synth," wrote Timeout critic Lydia Jenkin.

See for yourself and grab a ticket when they go on sale on August 21. A pre-sale begins on August 20.

In other acoustic troubadour news, celebrated singer-songwriter James Bay will perform here for the first time next year. He will take the stage at the Auckland Town Hall on February 9 on the back of his debut album, Chaos and the Calm, released in March.

Praised as one of the breakout stars of the year, Bay has earned plenty of fans with his old-school charm and simple approach to songwriting. He won the Critics' Choice Award at this year's Brit Awards.

• Tickets are on sale from August 20. Pre-sale begins on August 17.

- TimeOut