Interpol's Paul Banks Clarifies Comments About Morrissey

In recent weeks, Morrissey has been extremely vocal in his support for For Britain, a fringe far-right and virulently anti-immigration UK political part. This has pissed off a whole lot of his fans. But it has not affected Morrissey's touring plans. This fall, Morrissey will head out on a North American tour with Interpol. In a recent interview with Hot Press, Interpol frontman Paul Banks essentially opted not to address Morrissey's recent political stances. The interview quoted Banks as saying this: "We thought it would be a good show for our band. That’s how I’m looking at it. I don’t get too much into the other stuff." Banks would like you to know that he was misquoted.

In a Twitter statement, Banks says that what he really said was: "We thought it would be a good show for our fans." He claims that he detests all forms of discrimination, but he adds, "I do not always hold the same beliefs as the artists I work with, and I do not consider that to be a requisite."

Here's the full text of Banks' statement:

I'd like to address a few things real quick.
The actual quote I gave regarding the upcoming Morrissey tour was "we thought it would be a good show for OUR FANS." Not "for our band."
I do not always hold the same beliefs as the artists I work with, and I do not consider that to be a requisite.
I respect both conservative and liberal political views.
I abhor racism, homophobia, and any form of prejudice based on a person's nationality, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identification, or socioeconomic status...
Sincerely,
Paul Banks