This is an off the cuff bit of writing about the situation with Justin, as announced by himself and the band today 24th May 2022. Apologies for the roughness of the text.
I suspected something was up, I just wasn't sure if it was Elliott or Justin that wouldn't be around in the future. Nic has been appearing in a few of the band's photos from Bristol lately, and as they hadn't officially announced their expansion to a 7 piece group, it seemed a little strange. I'm disappointed for Justin and for the band but I'm so, so glad it's going down this way. Everyone involved should hold their heads a little higher today; Justin for not shying away from his reservations about being in the band right now, and everybody else for being supportive of his decision to step away. As someone who's followed bands for years, this could be an overdue evolution in the culture relating to the way we treat musicians and performers. I hope so.
There's an unspoken but long-held myth that people in groups occupy a space somewhere removed from the regular stresses and strains of normal life, whatever that is. We forget that the various acts an individual undertakes during touring can be enormously taxing. I also acknowledge that it's a rite of passage, and something that most bands do and love. At its core, it is a commitment to live outside of your comfort zone and away from immediate family and friends for a prolonged stretch of time. If the duties you are expected to perform are a cause of negativity or anxiety in your life, I would imagine that's a difficult commitment to give yourself over to. Sure enough, it will end at some point which is usually what makes even the most impossible circumstances bearable. However, should there really be a that much of a physical or mental toll due resulting from participating in what you love? An activity that is supposed to be an expression of imagination and creativity, and connecting with people?
Justin has always been very open about his disdain for the conventional touring experience, and given that everyone is still raw from two years of restricted interactions, I would guess that this magnified everything. From silence to the screaming crowds of festivals in Europe is the kind of cold-water shock that must be extremely daunting. Road-related stresses are also not something that Editors themselves are immune to, given their history as a touring entity. I remember there was a time after the lengthy Back Room campaign was over that they began recording an End Has a Start. Such was the sustained, disorientating psyche-battering they undertook in the name of promotion for their first record, they had de-skilled themselves when they arrived back in the studio. They needed help to learn how to make music effectively in that environment again.
That's worrying.
I also don't believe that this is the only time that Editors have experienced something like this. I suspect in the past they would have pressed on until a crisis point was reached rather than just stop, never mentioning it out in the open, but I think that their risk management skills have improved the longer their tenure has extended. The need to keep the wheels moving lest they be forgotten or lose momentum may have been the ruling principle in the past, or the idea of letting a collective someone down, it really does seem that we're in a place now where people can express their reservations and look after their mental health without fear of shame or reprisal. Good. It's as it should be.
I know this isn't the same thing, but music history is littered with bands that ended too soon or just really badly. Where we'll always wonder if the personnel involved in whatever terrible outcome befell them could have been diverted had they just been allowed to say "I'm not OK". If the pause button had been hit, and they'd then been immediately surrounded by understanding and compassionate voices instead of feeling obliged/pressured to continue in the name of commerce or convenience. They might project the appearance of otherworldy beings when they're on a stage but deep down, they're still human.
I hope that Justin is able to breathe out again now that the announcement has been made, and that he gets all the love and support he needs. Some things are more important than skinny black jeans and tasty licks being shredded on the various stages of Europe and beyond. Not much, obviously, but I do think mental wellbeing qualifies. Be well, Sir.
drew
