Change Your Name Or Stay The Same?

[ 0 ] September 15, 2009 | NewRockstarPhilosophy

Bands break up just as often as they appear. The momentum is with you in the beginning, then it lags, people jump ship, styles change, you change. But if you’ve put years into a band have any sort of fanbase what do you do when your band starts changing? Do you create a whole new band? Carry on with with your old moniker and a new style?

There are many choices, and this post is not one that will give you a definitive answer. In fact I’m hoping for some suggestions.

Ultimately I don’t really think there is a right or wrong answer. Each situation will be different. If you have a large fan base and have enough invested into the band then a total name change may be harmful. But then again if there are few original members and the style has changed enough then may be a total change is called for.

Look at the Brian Jonestown Massacre. They’ve had many member and style changes but they’ve stuck with their name and now they’re more or less part of underground rock lore. On the flip side we have Linkin Park. They used to be named Hybrid Theory and right before they were signed changed their name and nobody seems to remember or care. Why? Because it ultimately always comes down to the music.

The Beatles could have been called The Silver Beatles and it wouldn’t have changed a damn thing.