Over the past few years, the notion of “cancel culture” has become a hot button issue.
Winston Marshall, former member of the folk group Mumford & Sons, knows the feeling of cancel culture firsthand, as he’s experienced it himself.
Marshall left the band in 2021 after he tweeted support for conservative author Andy Ngo’s book, Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy, causing an uproar from liberal media.
Now, according to a conversation with Fox News, the artist is once again speaking out about the harmful impact that cancel culture brings, and how artists are punished if their views don’t exactly coincide with progressive ideologies,
And as an example, Marshall used the response to Oliver Anthony’s smash hit and controversial song, “Rich Men North Of Richmond.”
When the song dropped, it was immediately praised by a number of conservatives who are sick and tired of the way this country is being run. But because folks on the right were digging it, people on the left worked to disparage and discredit Anthony.
Of course, Anthony has since spoken out about how he’s right in the middle when it comes to politics, and the song is about all of the Washington D.C. elite. Rather than calling out a specific political party, Anthony blames both sides for the current state of the country.
Marshall said:
“Oliver Anthony, for example, working-class guy, has this song which resonates with millions upon millions – not just in America, but across the world, people – the left-behind working classes.
And they just can’t even process it. So they sort of embarrassed themselves.”
He took aim at the article written about the song by Rolling Stone, titling it “Right Wing Influencers Just Found Their New Favorite Country Song:”
“You’re certainly seeing a massive gap between the media and the people.
I wrote about this, particularly the response by Rolling Stone Magazine, if you could see that they attempted a takedown of Oliver Anthony… they’re the magazine that used to be the voice of counterculture.
Now, they don’t know counterculture when it slaps them in the face.”
Marshall also referenced Irish singer Roisin Murphy and rock star Alice Cooper. Murphy, who is the former lead singer for the band Moloko, talked about how puberty blockers were harmful to kids, but after the backlash received, she apologized for the statement.
“There still remains professional punishment for saying things that are true but are not correct, according to progressive orthodoxies.”
However, Marshall is said he is very pleased to see that there are more artists who are bravely speaking their minds, and writing freely:
“On a more positive note, instead of sort of sh*tting on everyone, I’m very excited that there are artists who are now writing freely, singing freely about these things.
And I sense the tide now turning and the story of Oliver Anthony’s. There’s so many things that are incredible about Oliver Anthony, not just that he writes beautiful songs, he has an incredible voice, but this guy’s reading Scripture in media.”
Sounds like Anthony has found himself a fan in the former Mumford & Sons guitar player.