Battle of the Band Names: 3 Instances Where Lawyers Got Involved

It can be almost impossible to come up with a good band name. Just think of some of the offerings that have risen to ultimate popularity: Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Who, Doja Cat. For every famous moniker like Madonna, there are millions on the cutting room floor.

But what happens when things get contentious around a band name? What happens when one band goes by the same name as another? And what happens when people are fighting over their given birth names, which have become their artist monikers? Below are three recent instances where things got contentious and lawyers were even called.

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1. Lady A

Three years ago, one of the biggest music news stories of the year was the Lady A and Lady Antebellum controversy. In short, the country trio known as Lady Antebellum had decided to change their name in the wake of the George Floyd murder. In a time of major racial reckoning, the group admitted their name—specifically “Antebellum”—was insensitive and potentially racist, so they decided to shorten it to Lady A.

The problem was, however, that in Seattle, Washington, there was a Black blues singer named Anita White, who had long gone by the moniker Lady A. If the country group were to take on that name, they would be effectively vanishing White from the musical map. A racial issue only became more inflamed given this predicament. The country group even sued White.

“They just acted like they didn’t hear me,” White told American Songwriter when the issues began. In 2022, a few years after the controversy began, the two parties reportedly settled their suits amicably. Today, both White and the country group go by the name Lady A.

2. Briana Cash

In a more recent event, according to a new press statement from Neal PR, “Composer, singer-songwriter [and] indie music artist Briana Cash is in a fight with Interscope Records and new music artist Brianna Castro, who filed a lawsuit against Cash so they can use her trademarked name which is also her birth name.”

Cash, who has been recording music for around two decades, has had songs placed in film and television. According to Neal PR, Briana was contacted by Interscope Records in 2020 by mistake, congratulating her on signing to the label. But it was meant for Castro, who had started going by the moniker Briana Cash. After that, the press statement says, “Interscope ignored Briana Cash for months.”

The statement adds, “In March of 2022 Briana Cash filed a lawsuit against Interscope Records and Brianna Castro to get them to stop using her trademarked and birth name for Castro. In August of 2022 Interscope and Castro filed a countersuit against Briana Cash to continue to use her trademarked and birth name. Before Interscope filed the countersuit they dropped Brianna Castro as an artist and is continuing the lawsuit against Briana Cash… Perplexing to say the least.

“Brianna Castro was put with Tory Lanez while she was with Interscope and they released music under the name Brianna Cash which was Castro’s first commercial release ever, while Briana Cash has been commercially out there as an artist for over 20 years. This suit and countersuit are going to trial in 2024.”

Briana said in the release, “It’s a sad day when a major record label intentionally profits from the name and trademark of an independent artist.”  

3. Erin Rae

Indie songwriter and performer Erin Rae (of Erin Rae & The Heartbeets) is known around Seattle for her bubbly songs and bright personality. But that effervescence was tested in the spring of 2019 when she received emails from officials representing Erin Rae (of Erin Rae and the Meanwhiles), urging her to stop using her born name as her artist name.

When approached Seattle’s Erin Rae said those officials asked her to “add my last name when I perform solo,” which was fine by her, she says, “and then for me to drop my middle name from solo billing and my band name to minimize fan confusion.” To which she “was happy to add my last name on solo bills…but that I didn’t want to change my band name.”

Thankfully, she says, “a music and entertainment lawyer was willing to handle further communication since they weren’t satisfied with my answer. Eventually communication stopped between the management and my lawyer and I kept the band name.”

(Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for BMLG)