Slaves Change Their Name
Lady Antebellum changed their name to Lady A. The Dixie Chicks changed their name to the Chicks. And now the champions of the problematic name Olympics, Slaves — the California post-hardcore band, not the UK punk duo — have finally decided to change theirs.
“The name ‘Slaves’ was conceived as a reference to the band’s battle with substance abuse in the past, to the idea that we become enslaved by our addictions and by our own demons,” they explain in a new statement on social media. “Our goal has always beeen to tackle these difficult subjects head on, as well as to build a community and share stories of hope to let others know that their inner demons can be defeated.”
“However,” the post continues, “this definition of the name neglects to take ownership of its racial connotations. As obstinate supporters of the BLM movement, we cannot continue to tie our music and our positive message to a word associated with such negative weight and hurt.”
The change won’t take effect immediately, but Slaves’ forthcoming album To Better Days will be their last under that name. “To Better Days will represent the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another for the band,” they write. “This is something we have been planning for a while and we are excited to start unveiling new music, new name, later this year.”