Winston Marshall reveals he was ‘bloody terrified’ to quit Mumford & Sons but now feels ‘like I got my soul back’ in interview with Bari Weiss
- Marshall, 33, announced last week that he was quitting Mumford & Sons
- He had been the guitarist with the band, formed in 2007, for 14 years
- In March he tweeted that he had appreciated Andy Ngo’s book on Antifa
- Marshall told Bari Weiss that he felt liberated on leaving the band
- He said he was hounded for his views and accused of being a fascist and a Nazi
Mumford and Sons’ lead guitarist and banjo player Winston Marshall has told of being ‘bloody terrified’ when he quit the band, amid controversy over his recommendation of a book.
Marshall, 33, told journalist Bari Weiss about his announcement last week that he was quitting the band after 14 years, following the fallout from his recommendation.
In March, Marshall tweeted his thoughts on Andy Ngo’s book, ‘Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy.’
He wrote: ‘Finally had the time to read your important book. You’re a brave man.’
Winston Marshall, 33, announced last week that he was quitting Mumford & Sons after 14 years. He left the band following controversy over his March tweet, saying he was interested by Andy Ngo’s book. Marshall was attacked and hounded from the band
Marshall (second from right) is seen with bandmates – from left, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford, and Ted Dwane
The tweet was met with backlash from fans, and Marshall apologized and announced he would take some time away from Mumford & Sons ‘to examine my blindspots.’
On Thursday, Marshall announced he was exiting the band, which he co-founded with Marcus Mumford, Ben Lovett and Ted Dwane in 2007.
Marshall spoke to Bari Weiss for her podcast
He told Bari Weiss on Thursday that he was ‘terrified’ to quit the band.
‘It was the bloody hardest decision I can remember,’ he said.
‘I’ve been in the band since I was 19. It was a really difficult thing, but I didn’t see another way out of this sort of moral conundrum that I found myself in. And so this felt like the right way forward
Marshall, asked how he felt about announcing his departure from the band, replied: ‘Bloody terrified. Yeah, particularly the last half an hour before I was very nervous, but I feel like it’s gone.
‘I feel like I got my integrity back and I feel like I got my soul back. I feel good now.’
Marshall told Weiss that he had been labelled ‘a fascist and a Nazi’ for his tweet, and his band members had been trolled.
Marshall said that he was relieved to have left the band which he co-founded in 2007. (L-R) Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford, Winston Marshall and Ted Dwane of Mumford & Sons
He said he had unleashed ‘a swarm of snakes who come for every aspect of your life’.
‘I was absolutely, totally sincere in being sorry to the band and remain so,’ he said.
‘What I had done had been unintentional, but it brought a lot of trouble to them. And so I was and am still sorry for that.
‘The apology wasn’t for what I did, it was for how it was interpreted. So I think it was true at the time.’
The musician said that he found solace in his faith, and was now focusing on his work with human rights in Hong Kong.