The Stories Behind 6 of Your Favorite Band Names
Yes, a solid chorus and talented musicians are important to any band’s future. But sometimes a catchy name can mean the difference between success and another ten years of band practice in your best friend’s garage.
Here are the origins and explanations behind six band names you’ve taken for granted up until this very moment.
1. Alt-J
We’ll get started with an easy one. If you’re an apple computer user, go ahead and open up a blank Google document. Then hold down your “alt” key and hit “j” and see what happens.
For those of you that don’t currently have access to an apple computer, the alt-j key combination produces a delta symbol. This symbol is prevalent in all of Alt-J’s branding, and represents the common theme of change in their music.
2. Blink-182
Originally “Duck Tape,” Tommy Delong decided it was time for a band name that was more approachable for the masses. Early on, the band pivoted to “Blink” only to find out that an Irish electronica artist had already adopted the name. Upon further deliberation, the band made the final change to “Blink-182.”
Why that number? This is the exact number of times Al Pacino drops the f-bomb in the classic drug cartel film, Scarface. We are not surprised.
3. Childish Gambino
Sometimes artists stumble upon their names purely by chance. In Donald Glover’s case, he has the Wu-Tang clan random name generator to thank. One night, when hanging out with his friends, everyone decided to give the name generator a try. When Glover put his name in, he soon realized that he had stumbled upon gold. And thus, Childish Gambino was born.
Go ahead and try the name generator for yourself here.
4. City and Color
The singer-songwriter behind this Canadia-based project is named Dallas Green. Get it? Dallas Green? City? And Color? Yea??
5. Led Zeppelin
The details of Led Zeppelin’s name origin tend to differ depending on who you ask, but it all stems from a recording session with Jimmy Page, Keith Moon, Jeff Beck, John Entwistle, and John Paul Jones. They recorded a track together and threw around the idea of forming a band, to which Keith Moon replied that doing so would go over like a “lead balloon.”
When forming the band two years later, Jimmy Page recalled Moon’s joke, and went with Led Zeppelin. We think it’s safe to say that things did not go over like Keith Moon originally predicted.
6. Shakey Graves
Perhaps the most fascinating story of them all, Austin, TX based Shakey Graves got his name from a chance encounter with an inebriated gentleman at the Old Settlers Music Festival. When sitting around a campfire, a man brandishing a bottle of warm beer engaged with Shakey and his friends.
The group of friends humored him for a period of time, and he bid the group farewell with one piece of advice: “watch out for those spooky wagons!” The group thought that “Spooky Wagons” would be a great Texas guitar player name, so everyone around the fire decided to give each other equally unique monikers.
When given the name “Shakey Graves,” he decided to stick with it, and now it is etched in stone as the Austin star continues his flourishing career.
