Guitarist Quits Mumford & Sons to "Speak Freely" On Politics

(Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)

Mumford & Sons guitarist Winston Marshall has announced that he is leaving the band that he helped found.

Marshall says that the band asked him to stay with the band, but decided to leave so he could “speak freely” about political issues. In his statement, Marshall said, “…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 first faced controversy after publicly showing admiration for a book written by right-wing writer Andy Ngo. In his statement on Thursday, Marshall said, “I condemn unequivocally all political extremism, be it of the Right or Left.”