Winston Marshall is the banjo player of Mumford & Sons, and one of the founders. In March, he took a break from the band after getting into a riot. On social media, Marshall had recommended ‘Unmasked’, a book by the right-wing activist and writer Andy Ngo, to his followers. ‘Unmasked’ is about how antifa, a loose movement of anti-fascist (and therefore left-wing) activists, 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 think will stand the test of time. What we have achieved together has exceeded my wildest fantasies. Who would want to consciously walk away from that? Me, it turns out. And that was not an easy decision.”
Self-censorship
Marshall admits that the “unintended Twitter storm” was behind his departure. “My tweet was misinterpreted by many as an endorsement of the equally appalling far right. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I condemn all political extremism, whether left or right. At the time of the incident, emotions were running high, but despite the fuss, the band invited me to continue with them. Given the pressure, that took courage.”
Marshall says he thought about this for a long time. “I know that as long as I’m a member of the group, speaking out about the evils of political extremism can get them in trouble. My loyalty and love for them cannot allow that. But staying in the band and censoring myself would gnaw at my conscience, tarnish my integrity. By leaving, I hope to be able to talk freely, without them suffering the consequences.”
His former colleagues support his decision, they said on social media. “We wish you the best in the future, Win. We love you, man.”
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