Irish rock group Girl Band have changed their name, apologising for ‘propagating a culture of non-inclusivity in music’.
The four-piece have used the name since their formation in 2011, and on their two albums, the critically acclaimed 2015 record Holding Hands With Jamie and 2019’s The Talkies.
However, they will now record and perform under Gilla Band, after considering the effect choosing a ‘misgendered name’ had on people.
A statement from singer Dara Kiely, guitarist Alan Duggan, drummer Adam Faulkner and bassist Daniel Fox read: ‘We will no longer be performing or releasing records under the name Girl Band. We apologise for choosing a misgendered name in the first place and to anyone who has been hurt or affected by it.
‘When we were starting off it was chosen without much thought, from a place of naivety and ignorance. We had no grasp of the weight of it at the time and in the past few years have found it impossible to justify or explain this choice.
‘Regardless of our intention the effect of the name has been damaging to individuals . To Try and negate any unfortunate role we’ve played in propagating a culture of non-inclusivity in music or otherwise, we have decided to change it.
‘Thank you to those who spoke up about it and educated us on this. Either directly or indirectly Moving forward we will be performing and releasing records under the name Gilla Band. Gilla being a given name taken from old Irish.’
The Shoulderblades stars were praised for the decision, with one fan commenting: ‘I think it’s great that you listened to people’s concerns and took action.’
Another person tweeted: ‘Thank you @girl_band – these kinds of names always bothered me…Girl Band, Single Mothers, Daughters… with all male line ups just didn’t seem right’, while one person wrote: ‘Learning is a constant and never-ending process.’
Others were a bit more confused about the name change, with one tweet reading: ‘I always thought their name kind of subverted gender norms what with them all being male identifying but nevertheless long live Gilla Band!’
Some comments were less complimentary, with a comment on Instagram reading: ‘Is this a joke?’ and another reading: ‘It’s fighting an imaginary battle? I’ve never seen anyone upset over the name.’
Gilla Band also announced a string of live dates, with three nights in Dublin venue Whelan’s in January.
A number of artists have changed names in recent years to move with the times, including British Sea Power, who are now simply known as Sea Power.
Saying that their name had ‘come to feel constricting, like an ancient legacy we were carrying with us’, the alternative rock band explained: ‘In recent times there’s been a rise in a certain kind of nationalism in this world – an isolationist, antagonistic nationalism that we don’t want to run any risk of being confused with. It’s become apparent that it’s possible to misapprehend the name British Sea Power, particularly if someone isn’t familiar with the band or their recordings.’
Last year, DJ Joey Negro, who is white, dropped the stage name to go by his real name Dave Lee, while DJ The Black Madonna, who is also white, changed her name to The Blessed Madonna.
Country band Lady Antebellum also shortened their name to Lady A following Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, but came under fire as Lady A is already a stage name used by Black blues, soul and funk singer Anita White.
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