Leslie Feist has canceled her remaining performances opening for Arcade Fire amid the sexual misconduct allegations against Win Butler. Feist was previously scheduled to open the entire European leg of Arcade Fire’s tour but according to a statement she posted to social media Thursday (September 1), she has decided to opt out early.
Videos by American Songwriter
The announcement saw Feist write out a lengthy explanation of her decision saying “At a pub in Dublin, after rehearsing with my band, I read the same headline you did. We didn’t have any time to prepare for what was coming let alone a chance to decide not to fly across the ocean into the belly of this situation.”
She continued, “This has been incredibly difficult for me and I can only imagine how much more difficult it has been for those who came forward. More than anything I wish healing to those involved.”
She then went on to explain the “dichotomy” of the issue and the difficulty of figuring out how to proceed, “To stay on tour would symbolize I was either defending or ignoring the harm caused by Win Butler, and to leave would imply I’m the judge and jury.”
Elsewhere Feist, a long-time proponent of Women’s rights organizations, said that she feels deeply connected to the issue of sexual assault as, “this situation touches each of our lives and speaks to us in a language unique to each of our processing.”
She continued, “There isn’t a singular path to heal when you’ve endured any version of the above, nor a singular path to rehabilitate the perpetrators. It can be a lonely road to make sense of ill-treatment. I can’t solve that by quitting, and I can’t solve it by staying. But I can’t continue.”
She finished the statement by saying, “The last two nights on stage, my songs made the decision for me. Hearing them through this lens was incongruous with what I’ve worked to clarify for myself through my whole career. I’ve always written songs to name my subtle difficulties, aspire to my best self, and claim responsibility when I need to. And I’m claiming my responsibility now and going home.” Find the full statement below.
The Arcade Fire frontman, Win Butler, has been accused by four people of alleged sexual misconduct. Butler has vehemently denied all the allegations.
(Photo by Lorne Thomson/Redferns)
