“Where are they from?” An Exploration of Band Names and Origins
Choosing a band name is an activity that challenges garage band members and record label suits alike. Finding the right mix of pathos, mystique, and irony to create a rapturous musical moniker is no easy task. A band’s name can function as a valuable, singular message to fans (and potential fans), arbiters of culture, DJs, music critics, booking agents, and festival goers. A name can express a band’s musical philosophy, artistic style, and/or sense of humor. While there aren’t many (any?) rules to picking a band name, there are definitely distinct types of band names.
I decided to take a look at a specific kind of band that has always piqued my interest: bands that are named for places that they are not from. Paris, Texas who are from Madison, Wisconsin or A R I Z O N A who hail from New Jersey, for example. I figured that in some cases there must be interesting stories behind these bands that wanted to channel a locational reference to a place from which they didn’t actually originate. After a lot of “toponymic” research, I created a list of bands, balancing for musical relevance and popularity, and the distance of their band name from their actual place of origin. Below you will find the seven bands that hit these notes the strongest in addition to a map of every band I could find that fits this bill.
7. of Montreal
is actually from Athens, Georgia
The story behind their name: the band has told many tales about their name, but the one that is said to have the most truth to it is that Kevin Barnes (lead singer and songwriter) had a rough breakup with a woman from Montreal, Quebec around the time he was crystallizing his artistic vision for the band. The heartbreak having a specific influence on of Montreal’s early work.
Personal take: lost love has inspired musicians for maybe thousands of years. Based on interviews he’s given, the association that Barnes has with Montreal is palpable. The name works as a sort of ode to his former partner or could be a proverbial albatross that Barnes uses to remember his sorrow and invigorate his laments.
6. Asia
is actually from London, England
The story behind their name: Asia was a supergroup made up of members from different progressive rock bands: John Wetton of King Crimson, Steve Howe of Yes, Geoff Downes of Yes and The Buggles, and Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake & Palmer. The name was a suggestion from their manager, who supposedly wanted the new group to have a name that “sounded big.” Wetton “liked the geometry of the A_ _A, four letters for four people,” and the same manager “liked the ‘si’ in the middle standing for ‘Yes’” — a Spanish reference to two of the bandmates former group, which he saw as “a good omen.”
Personal take: Asia is, indeed, big and other bands like Jupiter (Tokyo, Japan), Saturn (Islamabad, Pakistan), and Uranus (Ontario, Canada) have taken this concept to the planetary level. The wordmark that “Asia” allowed for gave the band their iconic, geometric logo that was splashed on every album they recorded. The sí=Yes idea seems like a bit of a green room fable.
5. Berlin
is actually from Orange County, California
The story behind their name: Berlin originally called themselves The Toys, but changed their name after their first few shows. The band members didn’t have any regional affiliation with Germany’s capital, but chose the name to make themselves seem European and exotic — their sound and style were indeed inspired by the music of German electronic groups like Kraftwerk.
Personal take: imitation as the highest form of flattery is definitely a practice that can be found in music. Further, I would venture that calling the band Orange County, Los Angeles, or Hollywood wouldn’t have had the same genre-defining, stylistic impact as Berlin.
4. Beirut
is actually from Santa Fe, New Mexico
The story behind their name: Zach Condon named his band after Lebanon’s capital because of “the city’s history of conflict and as a place where cultures collide.”
Personal take: Having visited Santa Fe, I can understand why the local scene might feel slightly limiting. Cultivating an artistic vision far beyond the local plazas and pueblos, and then naming the group for an ancient city 7,000 miles away was a good way for Condon to name the band outside its comfort zone.
A few other bands with illusory locational names:
Bauhaus was from Northampton, England not Weimar, Germany, where the famous school was actually founded.
I’m From Barcelona is from Jönköping, Sweden not the capital of Catalonia.
Calexico is from Tucson, Arizona not Calexico, California.
3. America
is actually from London, England
The story behind their name: Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek, and Gerry Beckley — the three musicians that make up America—met at London Central High School in the mid-1960s while all of their fathers were serving in the US Air Force and stationed near London. When they started performing at pubs, the locals began calling them “the Americans.” So as not to be confused with a popular rock group of the time called Jay & The Americans they simplified their name to America.
Personal take: even though the members of America began their musical journey and recorded their first album in London, their music and their cultural identity was very much American. Their name was partially based on a “a deep homesickness for the USA,” as two of them were born in the states. Finally, as a form of impassioned self-identification their name was meant to proclaim that they were actually American, and not just British musicians trying to sound like Americans.
2. Portugal. The Man
is actually from Wasilla, Alaska
The story behind their name: the band wanted the name to have a “bigger-than-life,” personified, iconic feel, but did not want to name it after one of their actual members. Guitar player and vocalist John Gourley explains, “A country is a group of people. With Portugal, it just ended up being the first country that came to mind… The band’s name is ‘Portugal’. The period is stating that, and ‘The Man’ states that it’s just one person.”
Personal take: in Gourley’s opinion, Portugal. The Man could be any one of the band members. At first glance, this name may look like the most convoluted one of the bunch, but I actually think it is bizarrely effective at evoking the feeling the band describes in several interviews. It’s unmistakable and structurally unusual to a degree that one’s brain gets stuck on it — pondering it in the abstract or following up with a question.
1. Bastille
is actually from London, England
The story behind their name: the name of the band derives from Bastille Day — the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on July 14 during the French Revolution — a French national celebration and lead vocalist Dan Smith’s birthday. Par conséquent: Bastille.
Personal take: Smith has gone on record saying that the band was initially going to be called Daniel in the Den, before they went with Bastille. Good choice. While Daniel in the Den has a very poignant and specific narrative for anyone who knows the biblical story, it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue and definitely feels less appropriate for this power pop group.
These bands each represent interesting reasons for naming with allusion to a place they’re not from. I think they mostly put this tactic to good use to tell a story or frame their musical creations — in many cases the places they are named for are more relevant and robust than where they come from. These seven bands are just a fraction of the list I discovered in my research, if you want to see them all, check out the map above. If you want to listen to the full bill of locational bands, check out the playlist below — it has one track from each group. Happy listening!
All images courtesy of Unsplash and Carolyn McDermott.
