Winston Marshall is a banjo player at Mumford & Sons, and one of its founders. In March, he took a break from the band after getting into a riot. On social media, Marshall recommended to his followers the book “Unmasked” by right-wing activist and writer Andy Ngo. Unmasked is about how Antifa, a loose movement of anti-fascist activists (and thus leftists), wants to destroy democracy in a radical way. Marshall was criticized for this, after which he decided to stop his musical activities for a while.
Now the banjo player has announced that he is leaving Mumford & Sons for good. “I look back on my time with Mumford & Sons with immense pride. We have a legacy of songs that I believe will stand the test of time. What we’ve achieved together has exceeded my wildest fantasies. Who would want to consciously walk away from that? To me, it turns out. And it wasn’t an easy decision.”
self-censorship
Marshall admits that an “unintended Twitter storm” was behind his departure. “My tweet was misinterpreted by many as an endorsement of the horrific far-right. True. At the time of the incident emotions were running high, but despite the uproar, the band invited me to continue with them. Given the pressure, it required courage.”
Marshall says he’s thought about this for a long time. “I know that as long as I am a member of the group, speaking out about the evils of political extremism can get them into trouble. My loyalty and love for them do not permit it. But remaining in the band and censoring myself would gnaw my conscience and tarnish my integrity. By leaving, I hope that Being able to speak freely, without suffering the consequences.”
They said on social media that his former colleagues support his decision. “We wish you the best for the future, Win. We love you, man.”
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