Remember last month when that American band The Muslims changed their name to The Soft Pack? Well it’s still bothering us. Ok so it isn’t quite like Cannibal Corpse changing their name to Pete and the Pirates, after all, ‚ÄòThe Muslims’ wasn’t that good a name in the first place, just a bit of a controversy spinner. The problem is that we like that band, but now people who don’t know their music will think they are a bunch of dollar chasing pussies who ditched their silly name the second that they got some label interest without realizing that in their entire career they’ve only had one good idea: Calling their band The Muslims. So we rang their guitarist Matty.VICE: Why did you change the name?
Matty: It had started to seem like a burden. All the shit people say, people were being dicks, saying all this shit about jihad. We all felt pretty shitty about it. It became something that we had to live with every day.Did you ever actually get threatened about the name?
No, why would we? We got a band together and we liked the sound of the name but we didn’t think it was a big deal, and then people got excited about it. We didn’t really like it in the first place. It didn’t even occure to us that it might be controversial, it’s just a good word.Hmmm, not sure I believe that. Do you think the name got you more attention than you’d have got otherwise?
Yeah, if I’m honest I think it probably did.So do you think some people might think you’re pussies for changing the name once you’ve already got the attention? Like now you’re ready to be successful, you’ll get a normal one?
Yeah, I can see why people would see it like that, but it’s not like that. We’re fucked. People thought we were dicks when we had the name, now they think we’re dicks cause we don’t.But officially you’re not pussies?
No, I don’t think the music we make is pussy.What’s your new band name again? I forgot it
The Soft Pack.Oh yeah. Well we don't like your name, but we do like your band.
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Matty: It had started to seem like a burden. All the shit people say, people were being dicks, saying all this shit about jihad. We all felt pretty shitty about it. It became something that we had to live with every day.Did you ever actually get threatened about the name?
No, why would we? We got a band together and we liked the sound of the name but we didn’t think it was a big deal, and then people got excited about it. We didn’t really like it in the first place. It didn’t even occure to us that it might be controversial, it’s just a good word.Hmmm, not sure I believe that. Do you think the name got you more attention than you’d have got otherwise?
Yeah, if I’m honest I think it probably did.So do you think some people might think you’re pussies for changing the name once you’ve already got the attention? Like now you’re ready to be successful, you’ll get a normal one?
Yeah, I can see why people would see it like that, but it’s not like that. We’re fucked. People thought we were dicks when we had the name, now they think we’re dicks cause we don’t.But officially you’re not pussies?
No, I don’t think the music we make is pussy.What’s your new band name again? I forgot it
The Soft Pack.Oh yeah. Well we don't like your name, but we do like your band.