Shirley Manson of Garbage: 'We are running out of citizens who will talk freely'

Shirley Manson discusses Noel Gallagher, anti-immigration sentiment, and the difficult economics of touring 

Shirley Manson and Garbage have lined up a summer gig in Ireland. 

Halfway through our interview, Shirley Manson is distracted by a bird outside her window in Los Angeles. A small finch has appeared. I can’t see it over Zoom audio, but the moment comes after she has unpacked difficult subjects: the death of her father, her own ill health, frustrations with the music industry, and the fact that she is one of the few musicians willing to speak her mind on the wider world without fear of being cancelled.

“We are running out of citizens who will talk freely,” she explains. “It’s an alarming atmosphere. I’m lucky that I’m old and I’ve had a glorious career. I’d rather be treated unjustly than hold on to my career if it means giving up artistic freedom. I feel it’s my responsibility as a citizen to speak for those who don’t have a platform or voice.”