Choosing A Band Name

   One of the funnest but most difficult things you’ll have to do as a band is decide on a band name. It can be extremely frustrating deciding on a name that everyone in the band agrees on. Instead of agreeing on a name that everyone loves, it almost always comes down to a name that everyone doesn’t hate. So how can you pick a name for your band?

   The first thing you need to do is come up with a list of potential band names. How do you choose band names? There is really no rule as anything could be used as a band name. I would suggest looking at the type of music the band is playing, or the type of people in the band. Is there something that stands out about your band that you want to point out? In my band Shufflin’ Noah we had written a song called 40 Days And 40 Nights so one of the names suggested was Noah. We felt that was too generic so we decided to add the word Shufflin’ to the front of it. That was on a list that included names like Spoon Playin’ Noah, Street Rappin’ Noah as well as a bunch of others. We finally decided on Shufflin’ Noah because we wanted people to dance to our music. My band In Stereo originally had two female lead singers. So we figured 2 singers would be in stereo. We also ran our live sound in stereo. All the television programs used to have the banner (((In Stereo))) at the beginning of the program so we figured it was a term people were familiar with. Hence the name, In Stereo.

   Another way to think of band names is to use an online Band Name Generator. Here’s one called the Band Name Maker that will let you put in a word that would like to be in your band name. It will then generate random band names. Here’s another one called Name Pistol. These are good ways to add some band names to your list. These name generators are also a fun way to name your band in the Rock Band Video Game. It’s a good thing to remember that your band name will appear on all your marketing material and you will become known by this name. So if you’re going to name your band Fart Face, make sure you can live with the fallout you’ll get from that type of name.

   Once you have your list made you can start narrowing down potential band names. Usually you will have a band member that’s totally committed to a name that everyone else hates. That band member can become a stumbling block when you’re trying to make a final decision. The way to handle this is from the very beginning of the process make sure everyone agrees that it must be a unanimous decision. Also remember, you all won’t love the name. The best you can do is pick a name that everyone doesn’t hate. So with your list, and those simple rules in mind, get out and pick yourself a band name!

Author: Live Musician Central

My name is Matt Rushton. I have been playing in bands for 27 years. I've been playing professionally for 21 years. I have opened for Sheryl Crow, Barenaked Ladies, Joan Jett, Little River Band, and Quiet Riot. View all posts by Live Musician Central