How to Pick a Band Name
The following eight steps can help anyone pick a band name.
Step 1 - The name is just a marketing tool. It should help you reach out and grab your audience. Think about Metallica, Megadeth and Iron Maiden. Those names instantly grab the attention of any heavy metal fan. Your band name should have the same effect within your musical genre.
Step 2 - Look at the area you’re in, and think about things that are unique to your band. Are there any personal experiences you can draw on? Sometimes really cool band names start out as inside jokes among band members. Mr. Mister would be a good example of this kind of band name.
Step 3 - Do any members of your group have interesting last names? Some of the coolest bands ever were named after band members. A good example would be Van Halen. On the surface it means nothing, but it sounds really cool and it has an edge that fits the band’s music.
Step 4 - Think about books and movies that you love. Lots of very successful bands were named after fictional places or people. An example would be Alice in chains, which is actually a twisted parody of the classic title, Alice in wonderland. It conveys the feel of their music very nicely if you think about it.
Step 5 - Sometimes a simple word or phrase used in everyday conversation can become a band name, and it can make a non-conformist statement. A couple of examples would be “Yes” and “The Nice”. Both of these show an unwillingness to pander to conventional audiences with run-of-the-mill titles. They demonstrate a wit and energy that perfectly matches the music these bands created.
Step 6 - Do you have any memorable songs with great names? Sometimes a group will come up with a song name, and then they’ll decide it’s so cool, they might as well use it as the name for their band. An example of this kind of naming strategy is The Cure.
Step 7 - Try to think of a cool word from a foreign language. There are tons of bands with these kinds of names and they benefit from sounding exotic. Pantera, for example, means Panther in Spanish.
Step 8 - Always remember that no matter what kind of cool name you choose, It won’t make you famous all by itself. If you want to be a star, you have to make some good tunes, and learn to sell yourself. Names are just window dressing.
