MUMBAI: British folk rock band- Mumford and Sons will release their third studio album this May, the band has announced. The new album- 'Wilder Mind' will be a follow up to the band’s Grammy winning album 'Babel', which was released in 2012. Due for release on 4 May, the upcoming album will include 12 new tracks and will be released under Island Records.

Unlike the band’s familiar acoustic and banjo sounds, the new album will feature electric and synth elements, the press release stated. In the statement, frontman Marcus Mumford said, “Demoing with Aaron meant that, when we took a break, we knew it wasn’t going to involve acoustic instruments. We didn’t say: ‘No acoustic instruments.’ But I think all of us had this desire to shake it up.”

The album was written in Brooklyn, Texas and London, and was recorded in London’s AIR Studios. ‘Wilder Mind’ is produced by James Ford, who has also worked with artists like Arctic Monkeys, Florence and the Machine and Haim.

"We didn't say: 'No acoustic instruments.' But I think all of us had this desire to shake it up. The songwriting hasn't changed drastically; it was led more by a desire to not do the same thing again. Plus, we fell back in love with drums! It's as simple as that," he added in the statement.

Mumford and Sons will stage two-days, stop over concerts as part of their Gentlemen on the Road festival to promote the new record. The festival will travel through the UK and US, beginning on 5 June at Seaside Heights in New Jersey, USA after which it will travel to Iowa, Scotland (UK), Washington and Colorado. The stopover concerts will also have performances by other acts including Foo Fighters, the Flaming Lips, Jenny Lewis, Alabama Shakes, JEFF the Brotherhood and My Morning Jacket.

Apart from the Gentlemen on the Road festival, the band will also headline the Bonnaroo Music Festival in June this year.