Do as I sing, not as I do...

Steve Sutherland finds himself struggling with mixed feelings as another one of his favourite artists turns out to have some decidedly unsavoury views

- Steve Sutherland

When maverick singer Ariel Pink was captured in an online video taking part in the pro-Trump rally that gathered at the Washington Capitol Building recently, it got me revisiting that thorny old subject of whether you can ever really separate an artist from their art. Not that I’m a massive Ariel Pink fan or anything – apparently he has an appalling track record when it comes to making pronouncements such as: “racism isn’t illegal” – but when his current record company immediately dropped him on the back of the Washington riot, I wondered where I actually stood when it comes to cancel culture.

Over the past year or so, a number of artists whose work I’ve long enjoyed have revealed themselves – or been exposed – as more monstrous than marvellous. Ryan Adams for example, has been accused of being a serial abuser of female artists under the guise of helping them with their careers. Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg of the wonderful Avi Buffalo was similarly accused and dropped from his label.