ToD Issue Official Statement to Confirm Band Name
01/14/2008 -- by merlin

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Usage savvy art rockers ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead moved to quash speculation of a possible name change early Monday morning by issuing a statement to confirm the true origin, nature, and identity of their verbose band moniker.

"First of all, we would like to set the record straight," read the statement issued through Trail of Dead's lawyers, Goldring, Hertz and Lichtenstein.  "Neither the ellipsis nor the 'And You Will Know Us by the' has been removed or edited out of the official band name.  Around the time the last album was released, rumors began to circulate suggesting the band had dropped these two accompaniments and were going to continue forward as just 'Trail of Dead'.  These unfounded rumors also alluded to the possibility Interscope Records may have forced the decision upon the unwilling band in order to assist with promotion and marketing.  This gossip, in its various forms, has continued as an assumed truth.  We categorically deny any such changes were ever made, nor were they ever considered.  Kevin, Conrad, and Jason each feel a deep emotional attachment to the ellipsis and the first seven words of their performance alias and would never even consider such a thoughtless consolidation."

Trail of Dead frontman Conrad Keely delved into greater historical depth in a conference call to reporters shortly after the statement was released.  "Obviously the full name is very important to us and it has been for a long time," said Keely.  "When Jason [Reece] and I first started playing together in '94, we didn't have a name.  Before one of those first shows, right outside the venue actually, there was a hideous car wreck and three people who were coming to see us play got killed.  It was there and then, staring at the carnage we had helped create, we decided to name the band as we did.  We wanted to have a permanent reminder of the death and destruction, however unintentional, our music had caused.  Each dot in the ellipses has meaning.  Each word is important.  It's a brand we branded ourselves with.  Like a big, bold line of scarlet letters across the chest."

"So you see it's a memorial to those people we lost.  We couldn't change it.  Anyone who tells you otherwise is stepping on graves."

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