Original Post (Archive)
I loved those first tours. Bouncing off a sweaty stage in an Edinburgh catacomb we then had to get to a gig in Camden by lunch the next day. We couldn’t fit all four of us and Ted’s double-bass into the VW Polo. I think it was Ben who drew the short-straw and had to follow by train with his keyboard. I remember blitzing it down the M6 through the night, the lads asleep beside me. We made it but my voice sadly didn’t, completely shot by exhaustion, I had to mime my harmonies. Being in Mumford & Sons was exhilarating.
Every gig was its own adventure.
Every gig its own story. Be it odysseys through the Scottish Islands, or soapbox shows in Soho. Where would we sleep that night? Hostels in Fort William, pub floors in Ipswich, even the Travelodge in Carlisle maintains a sort of charm in my mind. We saw the country and then, as things miraculously grew, the world. All the while doing what we loved. Music. And not just any music. These songs meant something. They felt important to me. Songs with the message of hope and love. I was surrounded by three supremely talented song-writers and Marcus, our singer with a one-in-a-million voice. A voice that can compel both a field of 80,000 and the intimacy of a front room. Fast-forward ten years and we were playing those same songs every night in arenas, flying first-class, staying in luxury hotels and being paid handsomely to do so. I was a lucky boy.
On stage, to my left Ted, a roaring bear, with his double-bass flying high above him. To my right Ben, with his unparalleled passion for music, pounding at the keys. And Marcus leading us with all the might of a hurricane or all the tenderness of a breeze, depending on what the song demanded. What a blessing it was to be so close to such talent as theirs. It will be with immense pride that I look back at my time with Mumford & Sons. A legacy of songs that I believe will stand the test of ages. What we’ve achieved together has vastly exceeded the wildest fantasies of this shitkicker from Mortlake.
Who in their right mind would willingly walk away from this?
It turns out I would. And as you might imagine it’s been no easy decision.
At the beginning of March I tweeted to American journalist Andy Ngo, author of the New York Times Bestseller, Unmasked. “Congratulations @MrAndyNgo. Finally had the time to read your important book. You’re a brave man”. Posting about books had been a theme of my social-media throughout the pandemic. I believed this tweet to be as innocuous as the others. How wrong I turned out to be.
Over the course of 24 hours it was trending with tens of thousands of angry retweets and comments. I failed to foresee that my commenting on a book critical of the Far-Left could be interpreted as approval of the equally abhorrent Far-Right.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Thirteen members of my family were murdered in the concentration camps of the Holocaust. My Grandma, unlike her cousins, aunts and uncles, survived. She and I were close. My family knows the evils of fascism painfully well. To say the least. To call me “fascist” was ludicrous beyond belief.
I’ve had plenty of abuse over the years. I’m a banjo player after all. But this was another level. And, owing to our association, my friends, my bandmates, were getting it too. It took me more than a moment to understand how distressing this was for them.
Despite being four individuals we were, in the eyes of the public, a unity. Furthermore it’s our singer’s name on the tin. That name was being dragged through some pretty ugly accusations, as a result of my tweet. The distress brought to them and their families that weekend I regret very much. I remain sincerely sorry for that. Unintentionally, I had pulled them into a divisive and totemic issue.
Emotions were high. Despite pressure to nix me they invited me to continue with the band. That took courage, particularly in the age of so called “cancel culture”. I made an apology and agreed to take a temporary step back.
Rather predictably another viral mob came after me, this time for the sin of apologising. Then followed libellous articles calling me “right-wing” and such. Though there’s nothing wrong with being conservative, when forced to politically label myself I flutter between “centrist”, “liberal” or the more honest “bit this, bit that”. Being labeled erroneously just goes to show how binary political discourse has become. I had criticised the “Left”, so I must be the “Right”, or so their logic goes.
Why did I apologise?
“Rub your eyes and purify your heart — and prize above all else in the world those who love you and who wish you well.” — Aleksander Solzhenitsyn once wrote. In the mania of the moment I was desperate to protect my bandmates. The hornets’ nest that I had unwittingly hit had unleashed a black-hearted swarm on them and their families. I didn’t want them to suffer for my actions, they were my priority.
Secondly, I was sincerely open to the fact that maybe I did not know something about the author or his work. “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak,” Churchill once said, “courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen”. And so I listened.
I have spent much time reflecting, reading and listening. The truth is that my commenting on a book that documents the extreme Far-Left and their activities is in no way an endorsement of the equally repugnant Far-Right. The truth is that reporting on extremism at the great risk of endangering oneself is unquestionably brave. I also feel that my previous apology in a small way participates in the lie that such extremism does not exist, or worse, is a force for good.
So why leave the band?
On the eve of his leaving to the West, Solzhenitsyn published an essay titled ‘Live Not By Lies’. I have read it many times now since the incident at the start of March. It still profoundly stirs me.
“And he who is not sufficiently courageous to defend his soul — don’t let him be proud of his ‘progressive’ views, and don’t let him boast that he is an academician or a people’s artist, a distinguished figure or a general. Let him say to himself: I am a part of the herd and a coward. It’s all the same to me as long as I’m fed and kept warm.”
For me to speak about what I’ve learnt to be such a controversial issue will inevitably bring my bandmates more trouble. My love, loyalty and accountability to them cannot permit that. I could remain and continue to self-censor but it will erode my sense of integrity. Gnaw my conscience. I’ve already felt that beginning.
The only way forward for me is to leave the band. I hope in distancing myself from them I am able to speak my mind without them suffering the consequences. I leave with love in my heart and I wish those three boys nothing but the best. I have no doubt that their stars will shine long into the future. I will continue my work with Hong Kong Link Up and I look forward to new creative projects as well as speaking and writing on a variety of issues, challenging as they may be.
Winston Marshall
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guitarist quits Mumford & Sons to ‘speak freely’ on politics (Archive)
LONDON (AP) — Winston Marshall, a founding member of folk-rock group Mumford & Sons, announced Thursday that is leaving the band so that he can “speak freely” about political issues.
Marshall took a break from the band in March after sparking a social media storm by tweeting admiration for “Unmasked,” a book by right-wing writer-activist Andy Ngo that attacked far-left militant groups collectively known as antifa.
Marshall was accused online of endorsing the far right, but said Thursday that “nothing could be further from the truth. I condemn unequivocally all political extremism, be it of the Right or Left.”
Marshall, who plays guitar and banjo with the group, said his bandmates had “invited me to continue with them,” but he had decided to leave so that he could “speak freely without them suffering the consequences.”
Marshall said that “as long as I am a member of the band, speaking my mind on the evils of political extremism could bring them trouble. My loyalty and love for them cannot permit that.”
Marshall said he plans to undertake new creative projects, “as well as speaking and writing on a variety of issues.”
Earlier this year Marshall co-founded Hong Kong Link Up, a charity that works to integrate Hong Kongers settling in Britain because of increasing political repression in the semi-autonomous Chinese city state.
Formed in London in 2007, Mumford & Sons have had huge success with their jangly folk-rock and won the album of the year Grammy for their 2012 record “Babel.”
“We wish you all the best for the future, Win, and we love you man,” the three other band members — Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane — wrote on Instagram in response to the announcement.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mumford & Sons Co-Founder Says He’s Leaving To “Speak Freely” On Political Issues (Archive)
A founding member of the English folk rock act Mumford & Sons said today in a Medium post that he’s leaving the band in order to avoid tainting them with his personal political opinions.
Winston Marshall created a firestorm on social media in March when he tweeted support for journalist Andy Ngo’s book Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy, which examines the radical leftist group’s history and tactics.
The guitarist and banjo player subsequently took a brief break from the band in March. Although he says his group had “invited me to continue with them,” he has now decided to leave so that he could “speak freely without them suffering the consequences.”
Marshall insisted that he was not endorsing the far right by praising Ngo’s book, saying, “Nothing could be further from the truth. I condemn unequivocally all political extremism, be it of the Right or Left.”
“As long as I am a member of the band, speaking my mind on the evils of political extremism could bring them trouble. My loyalty and love for them cannot permit that,” Marshall said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mumford & Sons band member Winston Marshall announces he's leaving the band to be free to talk about politics (Archive)
Mumford & Sons founding member Winston Marshall announced that he's parting ways with the folk-rock band so that he can "speak freely" about politics.
The banjo player announced he was leaving the band by way of a lengthy post on Medium in which he talked about the viral tweet that led him to take time away from Mumford & Sons.
Marshall took a break from the band in March after sparking a social media storm by tweeting admiration for "Unmasked," a book by right-wing writer-activist Andy Ngo that attacked far-left militant groups collectively known as antifa.
Marshall was accused online of endorsing the far right, but said Thursday that "nothing could be further from the truth. I condemn unequivocally all political extremism, be it of the Right or Left."
PORTLAND RETAIL CHAIN ANNOUNCES IT WILL NOT SELL ANDY NGO'S BOOK IN ITS STORES AMID LEFTIST UPROAR
Marshall, who plays guitar and banjo with the group, said he had decided to leave so that he could "speak freely without them suffering the consequences."
He said that "as long as I am a member of the band, speaking my mind on the evils of political extremism could bring them trouble. My loyalty and love for them cannot permit that."
He did, however, note that his fellow band members did not pressure him to leave.
"Emotions were high. Despite pressure to nix me they invited me to continue with the band. That took courage, particularly in the age of so called ‘cancel culture.’ I made an apology and agreed to take a temporary step back," he wrote.
Despite stepping away from the band to more easily talk about political issues, Marshall previously apologized for his praise of the book in a lengthy statement shared in a since-deleted tweet.
"Over the past few days, I have come to better understand the pain caused by the book I endorsed. I have offended not only a lot of people I don’t know but also those closest to me, including my bandmates and for that, I am truly sorry. As a result of my actions I am taking time away from the band to examine my blind spots," Marshall wrote at the time.
He added: "For now, please know that I realise [sic] how my endorsements have the potential to be viewed as approvals of hatred, divisive behavior. I apologize, as this was not at all my intention."
In his medium post, Marshall noted how his apology merely led to more backlash.
"Rather predictably another viral mob came after me, this time for the sin of apologising," he wrote.
Marshall said he plans to undertake new creative projects, "as well as speaking and writing on a variety of issues."
Earlier this year Marshall co-founded Hong Kong Link Up, a charity that works to integrate Hong Kongers settling in Britain because of increasing political repression in the semi-autonomous Chinese city-state.
Formed in London in 2007, Mumford & Sons have had huge success with their jangly folk-rock and won the album of the year Grammy for their 2012 record "Babel."
"We wish you all the best for the future, Win, and we love you man," the three other band members — Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane — wrote on Instagram in response to the announcement.
In his initial praise of the book, he congratulated Ngo for writing it. Marshall, at the time, called the book "important" and praised the conservative author.
"Finally had the time to read your important book. You’re a brave man," Marshall wrote in the now-deleted tweet.
I loved those first tours. Bouncing off a sweaty stage in an Edinburgh catacomb we then had to get to a gig in Camden by lunch the next day. We couldn’t fit all four of us and Ted’s double-bass into the VW Polo. I think it was Ben who drew the short-straw and had to follow by train with his keyboard. I remember blitzing it down the M6 through the night, the lads asleep beside me. We made it but my voice sadly didn’t, completely shot by exhaustion, I had to mime my harmonies. Being in Mumford & Sons was exhilarating.
Every gig was its own adventure.
Every gig its own story. Be it odysseys through the Scottish Islands, or soapbox shows in Soho. Where would we sleep that night? Hostels in Fort William, pub floors in Ipswich, even the Travelodge in Carlisle maintains a sort of charm in my mind. We saw the country and then, as things miraculously grew, the world. All the while doing what we loved. Music. And not just any music. These songs meant something. They felt important to me. Songs with the message of hope and love. I was surrounded by three supremely talented song-writers and Marcus, our singer with a one-in-a-million voice. A voice that can compel both a field of 80,000 and the intimacy of a front room. Fast-forward ten years and we were playing those same songs every night in arenas, flying first-class, staying in luxury hotels and being paid handsomely to do so. I was a lucky boy.
On stage, to my left Ted, a roaring bear, with his double-bass flying high above him. To my right Ben, with his unparalleled passion for music, pounding at the keys. And Marcus leading us with all the might of a hurricane or all the tenderness of a breeze, depending on what the song demanded. What a blessing it was to be so close to such talent as theirs. It will be with immense pride that I look back at my time with Mumford & Sons. A legacy of songs that I believe will stand the test of ages. What we’ve achieved together has vastly exceeded the wildest fantasies of this shitkicker from Mortlake.
Who in their right mind would willingly walk away from this?
It turns out I would. And as you might imagine it’s been no easy decision.
At the beginning of March I tweeted to American journalist Andy Ngo, author of the New York Times Bestseller, Unmasked. “Congratulations @MrAndyNgo. Finally had the time to read your important book. You’re a brave man”. Posting about books had been a theme of my social-media throughout the pandemic. I believed this tweet to be as innocuous as the others. How wrong I turned out to be.
Over the course of 24 hours it was trending with tens of thousands of angry retweets and comments. I failed to foresee that my commenting on a book critical of the Far-Left could be interpreted as approval of the equally abhorrent Far-Right.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Thirteen members of my family were murdered in the concentration camps of the Holocaust. My Grandma, unlike her cousins, aunts and uncles, survived. She and I were close. My family knows the evils of fascism painfully well. To say the least. To call me “fascist” was ludicrous beyond belief.
I’ve had plenty of abuse over the years. I’m a banjo player after all. But this was another level. And, owing to our association, my friends, my bandmates, were getting it too. It took me more than a moment to understand how distressing this was for them.
Despite being four individuals we were, in the eyes of the public, a unity. Furthermore it’s our singer’s name on the tin. That name was being dragged through some pretty ugly accusations, as a result of my tweet. The distress brought to them and their families that weekend I regret very much. I remain sincerely sorry for that. Unintentionally, I had pulled them into a divisive and totemic issue.
Emotions were high. Despite pressure to nix me they invited me to continue with the band. That took courage, particularly in the age of so called “cancel culture”. I made an apology and agreed to take a temporary step back.
Rather predictably another viral mob came after me, this time for the sin of apologising. Then followed libellous articles calling me “right-wing” and such. Though there’s nothing wrong with being conservative, when forced to politically label myself I flutter between “centrist”, “liberal” or the more honest “bit this, bit that”. Being labeled erroneously just goes to show how binary political discourse has become. I had criticised the “Left”, so I must be the “Right”, or so their logic goes.
Why did I apologise?
“Rub your eyes and purify your heart — and prize above all else in the world those who love you and who wish you well.” — Aleksander Solzhenitsyn once wrote. In the mania of the moment I was desperate to protect my bandmates. The hornets’ nest that I had unwittingly hit had unleashed a black-hearted swarm on them and their families. I didn’t want them to suffer for my actions, they were my priority.
Secondly, I was sincerely open to the fact that maybe I did not know something about the author or his work. “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak,” Churchill once said, “courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen”. And so I listened.
I have spent much time reflecting, reading and listening. The truth is that my commenting on a book that documents the extreme Far-Left and their activities is in no way an endorsement of the equally repugnant Far-Right. The truth is that reporting on extremism at the great risk of endangering oneself is unquestionably brave. I also feel that my previous apology in a small way participates in the lie that such extremism does not exist, or worse, is a force for good.
So why leave the band?
On the eve of his leaving to the West, Solzhenitsyn published an essay titled ‘Live Not By Lies’. I have read it many times now since the incident at the start of March. It still profoundly stirs me.
“And he who is not sufficiently courageous to defend his soul — don’t let him be proud of his ‘progressive’ views, and don’t let him boast that he is an academician or a people’s artist, a distinguished figure or a general. Let him say to himself: I am a part of the herd and a coward. It’s all the same to me as long as I’m fed and kept warm.”
For me to speak about what I’ve learnt to be such a controversial issue will inevitably bring my bandmates more trouble. My love, loyalty and accountability to them cannot permit that. I could remain and continue to self-censor but it will erode my sense of integrity. Gnaw my conscience. I’ve already felt that beginning.
The only way forward for me is to leave the band. I hope in distancing myself from them I am able to speak my mind without them suffering the consequences. I leave with love in my heart and I wish those three boys nothing but the best. I have no doubt that their stars will shine long into the future. I will continue my work with Hong Kong Link Up and I look forward to new creative projects as well as speaking and writing on a variety of issues, challenging as they may be.
Winston Marshall
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guitarist quits Mumford & Sons to ‘speak freely’ on politics (Archive)
LONDON (AP) — Winston Marshall, a founding member of folk-rock group Mumford & Sons, announced Thursday that is leaving the band so that he can “speak freely” about political issues.
Marshall took a break from the band in March after sparking a social media storm by tweeting admiration for “Unmasked,” a book by right-wing writer-activist Andy Ngo that attacked far-left militant groups collectively known as antifa.
Marshall was accused online of endorsing the far right, but said Thursday that “nothing could be further from the truth. I condemn unequivocally all political extremism, be it of the Right or Left.”
Marshall, who plays guitar and banjo with the group, said his bandmates had “invited me to continue with them,” but he had decided to leave so that he could “speak freely without them suffering the consequences.”
Marshall said that “as long as I am a member of the band, speaking my mind on the evils of political extremism could bring them trouble. My loyalty and love for them cannot permit that.”
Marshall said he plans to undertake new creative projects, “as well as speaking and writing on a variety of issues.”
Earlier this year Marshall co-founded Hong Kong Link Up, a charity that works to integrate Hong Kongers settling in Britain because of increasing political repression in the semi-autonomous Chinese city state.
Formed in London in 2007, Mumford & Sons have had huge success with their jangly folk-rock and won the album of the year Grammy for their 2012 record “Babel.”
“We wish you all the best for the future, Win, and we love you man,” the three other band members — Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane — wrote on Instagram in response to the announcement.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mumford & Sons Co-Founder Says He’s Leaving To “Speak Freely” On Political Issues (Archive)
A founding member of the English folk rock act Mumford & Sons said today in a Medium post that he’s leaving the band in order to avoid tainting them with his personal political opinions.
Winston Marshall created a firestorm on social media in March when he tweeted support for journalist Andy Ngo’s book Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy, which examines the radical leftist group’s history and tactics.
The guitarist and banjo player subsequently took a brief break from the band in March. Although he says his group had “invited me to continue with them,” he has now decided to leave so that he could “speak freely without them suffering the consequences.”
Marshall insisted that he was not endorsing the far right by praising Ngo’s book, saying, “Nothing could be further from the truth. I condemn unequivocally all political extremism, be it of the Right or Left.”
“As long as I am a member of the band, speaking my mind on the evils of political extremism could bring them trouble. My loyalty and love for them cannot permit that,” Marshall said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mumford & Sons band member Winston Marshall announces he's leaving the band to be free to talk about politics (Archive)
Mumford & Sons founding member Winston Marshall announced that he's parting ways with the folk-rock band so that he can "speak freely" about politics.
The banjo player announced he was leaving the band by way of a lengthy post on Medium in which he talked about the viral tweet that led him to take time away from Mumford & Sons.
Marshall took a break from the band in March after sparking a social media storm by tweeting admiration for "Unmasked," a book by right-wing writer-activist Andy Ngo that attacked far-left militant groups collectively known as antifa.
Marshall was accused online of endorsing the far right, but said Thursday that "nothing could be further from the truth. I condemn unequivocally all political extremism, be it of the Right or Left."
PORTLAND RETAIL CHAIN ANNOUNCES IT WILL NOT SELL ANDY NGO'S BOOK IN ITS STORES AMID LEFTIST UPROAR
Marshall, who plays guitar and banjo with the group, said he had decided to leave so that he could "speak freely without them suffering the consequences."
He said that "as long as I am a member of the band, speaking my mind on the evils of political extremism could bring them trouble. My loyalty and love for them cannot permit that."
He did, however, note that his fellow band members did not pressure him to leave.
"Emotions were high. Despite pressure to nix me they invited me to continue with the band. That took courage, particularly in the age of so called ‘cancel culture.’ I made an apology and agreed to take a temporary step back," he wrote.
Despite stepping away from the band to more easily talk about political issues, Marshall previously apologized for his praise of the book in a lengthy statement shared in a since-deleted tweet.
"Over the past few days, I have come to better understand the pain caused by the book I endorsed. I have offended not only a lot of people I don’t know but also those closest to me, including my bandmates and for that, I am truly sorry. As a result of my actions I am taking time away from the band to examine my blind spots," Marshall wrote at the time.
He added: "For now, please know that I realise [sic] how my endorsements have the potential to be viewed as approvals of hatred, divisive behavior. I apologize, as this was not at all my intention."
In his medium post, Marshall noted how his apology merely led to more backlash.
"Rather predictably another viral mob came after me, this time for the sin of apologising," he wrote.
Marshall said he plans to undertake new creative projects, "as well as speaking and writing on a variety of issues."
Earlier this year Marshall co-founded Hong Kong Link Up, a charity that works to integrate Hong Kongers settling in Britain because of increasing political repression in the semi-autonomous Chinese city-state.
Formed in London in 2007, Mumford & Sons have had huge success with their jangly folk-rock and won the album of the year Grammy for their 2012 record "Babel."
"We wish you all the best for the future, Win, and we love you man," the three other band members — Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane — wrote on Instagram in response to the announcement.
In his initial praise of the book, he congratulated Ngo for writing it. Marshall, at the time, called the book "important" and praised the conservative author.
"Finally had the time to read your important book. You’re a brave man," Marshall wrote in the now-deleted tweet.
as fuck, my friend. Uncle Ted continues to be right, though.