UK punk duo Slaves have changed their name to Soft Play. The band — made up of vocalist and drummer Isaac Holman and guitarist and bassist Laurie Vincent — made the announcement on their Instagram account today, writing, "We want to sincerely apologize to anyone we've offended."
The duo's original name has drawn criticism since they released their debut EP Sugar Coated Bitter Truth in 2012. In a 2015 interview with The Fader, Vincent said that the band had wanted the name to be "an abrasive sounding word, like Clash," and "weren't trying to provoke."
Now, however, the band are apologizing for the name choice, writing that "it felt at times as if our band name had defined us and we were scared of what might happen if we changed it."
They continued, writing that "we now recognize that our original intent doesn't change the fact that the name Slaves is an issue."
Early in the statement, the duo also announced that they would be returning to music after going on hiatus in 2019 following the release of 2018's Acts of Fear and Love, partially due to health issues suffered by Vincent's partner.
Back in 2020, California post-hardcore band Slaves also changed their name, rebranding to Rain City Drive.
You can read Soft Play's whole statement below.
The duo's original name has drawn criticism since they released their debut EP Sugar Coated Bitter Truth in 2012. In a 2015 interview with The Fader, Vincent said that the band had wanted the name to be "an abrasive sounding word, like Clash," and "weren't trying to provoke."
Now, however, the band are apologizing for the name choice, writing that "it felt at times as if our band name had defined us and we were scared of what might happen if we changed it."
They continued, writing that "we now recognize that our original intent doesn't change the fact that the name Slaves is an issue."
Early in the statement, the duo also announced that they would be returning to music after going on hiatus in 2019 following the release of 2018's Acts of Fear and Love, partially due to health issues suffered by Vincent's partner.
Back in 2020, California post-hardcore band Slaves also changed their name, rebranding to Rain City Drive.
You can read Soft Play's whole statement below.
