I'm actually not sure what to call this band right now, because the transition to their new name, PYRAMIDDD, seems to have halted. Or, at least, the title of their Myspace has changed from STARFUCKER//PYRAMIDDD back to just STARFUCKER.
They announced the winning name last October, about five weeks after announcing the re-naming contest to their fans - having a name like Starfucker is okay if you're on the Weeds soundtrack, or commercials for Target and IBM, but it sucks if you're trying to book national tours with other big-name bands. Sellouts? I kinda don't think so.
Starfucker founder Josh Hodges, in an interview with Portland's Local Cut:
"I’ve been poor my entire life. I’ve done every shitty job that you can imagine. I’ve been a security guard, I’ve parked cars, I’ve waited tables, I’ve bussed tables, I’ve sold coffee, I’ve painted houses. I’ve done seriously everything that sucks that you can do. So this isn’t work, it’s not fucking work, and it pays me. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do."
And in an interview with Cary Clarke of the Portland Mercury,
"We're changing our name because it just doesn't make sense anymore. We never thought Starfucker would make it as far as it has, and never had any expectations of success. At this point we need to be able to either put more into the music, or just stop doing it so we can get 9-5 jobs to pay our rent. Right now we're in this bardo where we don't quite make a living off music but we put so much energy into it that we can't put any time in a real job either. We just need to get serious about one or the other. The name has been a problem for us in a lot of ways. We've missed out on opening slots with bands we really like, and we hope to tour Europe soon where there is already a Starfucker. Someone booked us once thinking we were the European Starfucker. The list goes on and on..."
"Band names are usually stupid in the beginning, bus as you grown with a band and its music, the name grows with it too, so it doesn't matter how stupid it is as long as the music can carry it. In our case however, the name is holding us back, which should never be the way it is. Having to put a name on your music or art is necessary, but shouldn't be the focal point. The music or art should speak for itself."
This sounds like something I can support getting behind. This isn't a story about some mega record label and its evil emissaries poisoning the authenticity of a once-sincere group of pop-sensation puppets. Instead, at least for now, it's a group of musicians who want the freedom to do what they like (and are really good at), full time, without having to sell coffee on the side, or paint houses, or bus tables.
And the reason I'm digging this all up months after the name change is because if (IF!) the band ends up transitioning back to their original title, I'd hate to see them get shit for it. They are really nice guys. Trust me.
I'm actually not sure what to call this band right now, because the transition to their new name, PYRAMIDDD, seems to have halted. Or, at least, the title of their Myspace has changed from STARFUCKER//PYRAMIDDD back to just STARFUCKER.
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