As I’ve previously posted here, I’ve been involved in a new band called the Ken Stevens Trio, which was originally a supplement to Ken Stevens’ acoustic solo efforts. As the band has progressed and taken on a sound and identity of its own, it became apparent that we should allow this project to take on a new, separate name. Over the last few weeks Ken and I have come up with a long list, which turned into a short list, and now we have a final list of 2-3 names. Both are pretty different, and we feel drawn to both of them. As we’re making these final deliberations, I wanted to turn to you, my friends to offer your feedback.
We have come down to three finalists: The names are Eden’s Favorite Apple, Ken & The Action Figures, and Hey Man Nice Bus.
Eden’s Favorite Apple
To me this name sits in the “this name has deeper meaning” camp, where the name itself can invoke a lot of different imagery. Earlier when we solicited feedback for this name, one description really drew me: “I would expect a band with this name to push the envelope a bit, to be edgy yet grounded, to have depth.” I feel like that’s what our band is aspiring to be, and that this is a name we could definitely grow into. While this name definitely conjures up a lot of different imagery, there is definitely a lot of religious connotation with this name, and it could give people the first impression that we are in the Christian music genre, or invoke imagery that people aren’t necessarily comfortable with. At the same time, the vast array of imagery allows for a lot of great marketing opportunities.
Ken & The Action Figures
Where Eden. lies in the “deeper meaning” camp, this name and Hey Man Nice Bus sit in the opposite side of the spectrum. This name invokes a much more specific image. This name good pretty favorable feedback amongst our friends, with most of them saying that they found this name intriguing. The memorable point of feedback we got was “This name implies that if you’re going to check out this band, you’re going to have a good time.” There is also a vast array of marketing opportunities as well. The fact that our singer is named Ken gives this added benefit. A downside to this name is that it doesn’t really offer a deep meaning, and may be a barrier to be taken seriously as a band – after all would you say to your friend, “This song really spoke to me, the one by Ken & The Action Figures”. Somehow that has a hard time being constructed into a serious sentence.
Hey Man Nice Bus
This name is in the same vein as “Ken & The Action Figures” where the connotation is much less serious. The feedback we got, while limited (as this name was a late-comer), was also very positive. This name has a personal tie to our singer Ken, as he owned a VW bus and heard that line for quite a while. This name could also bring about a fun logo, and some great imager as well. The possible downside is that it could carry a “hippie” stigma – one that may be reserved for more of a “jam band” than we are.
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So those are our three finalists. I’d really appreciate your thoughts on this. Which name attracts you the most amongst these three? Is there anything about any of the names that bothers you? Is there something else we should consider in naming our band? If hearing our music would help, give us a listen. Please feel free to comment below, or contact me on Twitter, Facebook or Gmail. I’d really appreciate your thoughts, even if you just want to support a specific name. Thanks again for your feedback!
