The band formerly known as Easy Life was rebranded as Hard Life after a legal dispute with EasyGroup, owners of the airline brand EasyJet.
The Leicester-based indie band, which was founded in 2017, made the announcement to coincide with the release of their new single “Tears”.
Frontman Murray Matravers expressed his frustration with the legal battle, describing it as “the strangest and most surreal thing” he had ever witnessed. “We felt angry and helpless,” he told the BBC. “But if our name affects them too much, I'll stay away from it — because it's not worth it.”
The conflict began last year when EasyGroup accused the band of violating its trademark. The company objected to the band promoting the Life's a Beach tour with a poster modeled after EasyJet's branding, as well as T-shirts and a website that mimicked EasyJet's signature look. EasyGroup argued that allowing the band to use the “Easy” name without paying royalties would be “unfair”.
In response to the legal threat, the band decided to stop using the Easy Life name and performed their final show under the old name at KoKo in London on 13 October. Matravers said the band could not afford to take the matter to court and eventually came to terms with the situation.
When it came to choosing a new name, the band members unanimously agreed on Hard Life. “It was more fair,” Matravers explained. “In response to what happened, a hard life seemed like the obvious thing.” “It's a great name, and I'm really happy with it.”
Despite the decision, EasyGroup's lawyers objected to a lyric in the new song “Tears” that refers to EasyGroup's owner, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, calling it “offensive and defamatory.” They claim it violates the settlement agreement reached with the band.
However, Matravers defended the lyric, saying he wanted the music to reflect what the band went through. Looking to the future, Hard Life plans to tour, play festivals, and continue creating music. “Hopefully we can put this chapter behind us and move forward — and focus on the music again,” Matravers said.
