According to Pitchfork, Canadian singer-songwriter Leslie Feist, professionally known as Feist, has announced that she will be dropping from Arcade Fire’s current tour citing the recent sexual misconduct allegations against frontman Win Butler. The allegations were brought by three different women and a gender nonconforming person who came forward about their alleged nonconsensual experiences with Butler who is married to fellow bandmate Regine Chassagne. Feist had supported the band on their first two opening shows in Dublin, Ireland at the 3Arena on August 30 and 31 with all proceeds from her merchandise sales being donated to Women’s Aid Dublin, an organization against domestic violence.
Feist explained that she had found out about the allegations after a band rehearsal in Dublin. She said she felt stuck in the middle of the storm, commenting “To stay on tour would symbolize I was either defending or ignoring the harm caused by Win Butler and to leave would imply I was the judge and jury.” Ultimately, she had to make a decision to “claim [her] responsibility” by dropping off the trek.
In a statement posted to social media, Feist offered, “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. More than anything I wish healing to those involved,” She continued, adding, “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.”
UPDATE 9/2: Arcade Fire has responded to Feist’s decision to drop off the tour, stating that they “understand and respect” her choice.
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