WHO AM I?
Posted: 16 July 2018
In a world full of artists, where do you belong?
Read time: 6 mins
The industry is bursting at the seams with worthy musicians, so, how do you stand out? Finding your identity as a musician can be challenging but is important. Being a musician is more than making inspiring music. It’s about the person behind the music. It’s about who you are on stage, in interviews or at music events. The identity you take on as a musician can impact on album or ticket sales and is as important a factor as the quality of the music itself.
So how can you show people who you are? Well the most obvious part of your identity both in regular life and in the music industry is your name. It’s no secret that naming your band or picking a pseudonym for yourself can be tricky so we’ve compiled some top tips:
1. List every idea
That means every idea makes the list, even if you think it’s stupid. Playing rhyming games or other children’s games like ‘I Spy’ can help get the process started.
2. Mix and match
Mix together some of the ideas you’ve come up with and see if they sound better. Adding the perfect adjective, number or symbol could take your name from average to awesome.
3. Check online
Once you’ve got some names that you like, it's worth typing them into a search engine to see what comes up, make sure it's your own. Be wary of names with negative connotations. While the music industry is known for controversy and pushing the boundaries, an offensive name may seriously limit your options in the future.
4. Think big picture
What started out as a temporary name may end up being your moniker for life so you need to think about the long-term impact. How would that name look on album covers and merchandise? What about web domains and social media pages?
5. Don't follow the crowd
While you might want your name to fit in with your chosen genre, don’t just copy what everyone else is doing. It’s hard to stand out when everyone’s got the same word or phrase in their band names. Among the most popular choices for bands, are names to do with animals, blood, the sea and the colour black.