Feist has spoken about her decision to leave Arcade Fire’s European tour in September last year, after allegations of sexual misconduct were levelled at the band’s frontman Win Butler. The accusations – which Butler strongly denies – arose just before Arcade Fire were due to start the tour, which went ahead as planned despite Feist dropping out after the first couple of shows in Ireland.
In an interview with The Irish Times, the Canadian singer reflect on her decision, saying playing the shows became an “out-of-body experience”, and that her initial instinct was to “duck and get through this”.
Feist: ‘Hiding Out In The Open’
“Not to mention, I had brought all of these new songs. I thought, ‘Okay, maybe I’ll go do this tour and workshop how to play these songs in a bigger context’,” she told the paper. “It took me until the second show where all of the practical discomfort of having to dismantle this crazy machine and fold it back up and lose what I had invested in being there [on tour]… The whole thing was made so clear to me. I couldn’t continue.”
Feist went on to say it felt like her “body was just doing the songs” while onstage. In the end, the singer decided she couldn’t “avoid [her] responsibility here”.
You can read the full interview with The Irish Times over here.
Feist – full name Leslie Feist –announced her departure from Arcade Fire’s tour in an Instagram post in September, writing that she wished healing to all those involved. “This has been incredibly difficult for me and I can only imagine how much more difficult it’s been for the people who came forward,” Feist wrote at the time.
“To stay on tour would symbolise I was either defending or ignoring the harm caused by Win Butler and to leave would imply I was the judge and jury,” she said. “I was never here to stand for or with Arcade Fire.”
Feist’s new album Multitudes, her first new record in six years, will be released on Friday, 14th April.
Further Reading
Arcade Fire’s Win Butler Accused of Sexual Misconduct by a Fifth Person
Feist Leaves Arcade Fire Tour Following Allegations Against Win Butler
Love Letter To A Record: Evan Klar On Feist’s ‘The Reminder’
