The band formerly known as Easy Life has rebranded as Hard Life following a legal dispute with EasyGroup, the brand owners of airline EasyJet.
The Leicester-based indie band, formed in 2017, made the announcement alongside the release of their new single, “Tears.”
Frontman Murray Matravers expressed his frustration with the legal battle, describing it as “the weirdest, most surreal thing” he had ever experienced. “We felt angry and powerless,” he told BBC News. “But if our name affects them that much, I’ll walk away from it – because it’s not worth it.”
The conflict began last year when EasyGroup accused the band of infringing on its trademark. The company objected to the band’s promotion of their Life’s a Beach tour using a poster styled like EasyJet’s branding, as well as T-shirts and a website that mimicked EasyJet’s distinctive look. EasyGroup argued that allowing the band to use the “Easy” name without royalty payments would be “unfair.”
In response to the legal threat, the band decided to stop using the name Easy Life 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 ultimately made peace with the situation.
When it came to selecting a new name, the band members unanimously agreed on Hard Life. “It was more just, in response to what had happened, Hard Life felt like the obvious thing,” Matravers explained. “It’s a great name – I’m really happy with it.”
Despite the resolution, EasyGroup’s lawyers have objected to a lyric in the new song “Tears” that references EasyGroup owner Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, calling it “disparaging and defamatory.” They claim it breaches the settlement agreement reached with the band.
However, Matravers defended the lyric, saying he wanted the music to reflect what the band had gone through. Looking ahead, Hard Life plans to tour, play festivals, and continue creating music. “Hopefully, we can put this chapter behind us and move on – and focus on the music again,” Matravers said.
