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Bombay Bicycle Club think band name is ‘silly’


Jack Steadman wishes Bombay Bicycle Club had a different name.

The four-piece band formed under the name The Canals when Jack was just 15, but soon adopted their current name which the frontman now thinks is "silly."

When asked if he wishes they had chosen a different moniker for the group, he said: "Every day. It’s a silly name. Everyone does silly things when they’re 15, but not many people have to deal with it for the rest of their lives."

The ‘Carry Me’ singers released their fourth studio album, ‘So Long, See You Tomorrow’ in February, which was nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize – an award which is given to the act deemed to have created the best British album.

The band was one of 12 acts shortlisted for the award alongside FKA twigs and Damon Albarn, but lost out to Scottish trio Young Fathers who scooped the prize for their debut studio album, ‘Dead’.

Discussing the prize – which has previously been won by PJ Harvey, James Blake and Alt-J – the 24-year-old singer admitted while he was thrilled to have been nominated, he wasn’t bothered about being beaten by the ‘Get Up’ hitmakers.

When asked if he was disappointed, he told Shortlist magazine: "Not really. At the time I was having an incredible evening. I hadn’t really heard of the other bands, embarrassingly. I got to sit there for three hours watching them all perform and I found it really inspiring."

Jack – who is in the indie group with bandmates Jamie MacColl, Suren de Saram and Ed Nash – continued to say he is skeptical about what benefits the prize would have because they are not a new act.

He added: "For a band like us, who are quite established with four albums… I don’t really know what the Mercury would have done. I was happy for it to go to an up and coming band. That’s where an award like that should go."