UK punk duo Slaves – comprising singer and drummer Isaac Holman and guitarist Laurie Vincent, both of whom are white – have apologised for their name, acknowledging its offensive connotations and changing it to Soft Play going forward.
In a statement shared on social media, Holman and Vincent said they chose their original band name as “a reference to the grind of day to day life.”
Slaves: “We want to sincerely apologise to anyone we’ve offended”
— SOFT PLAY (@softplayband) December 9, 2022
In their statement, Holman and Vincent admitted that they initially responded to criticism of the name – which they have faced since rising to prominence in 2012 – “from a place of fear and defensiveness.” They went on to say that they now recognise that their original intent “doesn’t change the fact that the name Slaves is an issue.”
“In this day and age we believe it is very important that people change and make improvement no matter how far down the line they are,” Holman and Vincent wrote. “The name doesn’t represent who we are as people or what our music stands for any longer. We want to sincerely apologise to anyone we’ve offended.”
The band said they were “aware that people have differing opinions on the name,” but they hoped people could “accept and respect” their decision to change it. They continued, “When it comes down to it, the music and the community surrounding our band are what matter the most and we don’t want anything to stand in the way of that community being as inclusive as possible. Our music is for anyone and everyone.”
Holman and Vincent ended the statement by sharing their new name, Soft Play.
In 2015, shortly prior to the release of debut album, Are You Satisfied?, Holman and Vincent responded to criticism of the name by defending their decision. Speaking to The Fader, Vincent said backlash had been a surprise to him and his bandmate, explaining, “We just liked the word. We weren’t trying to provoke.”
In a since-deleted Facebook post the same year, the duo elaborated: “Our band name relates to people not being in control of their day to day lives. Slaves was our way of getting off the paths we didn’t want to walk down anymore. The music we make is motivational and aimed at people personally as well as collectively.”
Since releasing Are You Satisfied? in 2015, the band formerly known as Slaves has released two albums – 2016’s Take Control and 2018’s Acts of Fear and Love. The band had been on hiatus since 2019, partially due to the death of Vincent’s partner, something they addressed in their statement.
“Until now, we’ve not been able to comment on what’s going on with the band, as life changing events have left us on hiatus, just trying to get through each day,” they wrote. “There were times over the last few years when we never thought we would ever step foot on a stage together again. However we feel that the time has now come to pick up where we left off.”
The band said they felt it was “important” to “address” the issue of their name before returning to activity, and concluded the statement by saying they “are very happy to be back together again and are excited for what the future holds.”
Further Reading
Review: Slaves – Are You Satisfied?
British Sea Power Change Their Name To Avoid Nationalist Connotations
Dixie Chicks Change Their Name To The Chicks, Release Protest Song
