The Name

Harmony & Groove wasn’t the first name that I came up. But before I tell you what it was, let me share a few thoughts about the “space” I wanted to create with a name.

When I say “space”, I suppose I mean “feeling”. When I see or hear a band name, I like it to give me a sense of what the music is like or what spirit the band might be. It’s a bit of a narrow aesthetic, and at the end of the day, there are no rules, but this was my starting point. I also wanted a name that captured the feeling of the music.

Since I intended to write soul/R&B, funk and pop, I needed a name that reflected these styles. I love harmonies, so using “harmony” in the name was a no brainer. But the word doesn’t just have a musical connotation; it also suggests an important aspect of life, and even a philosophical perspective.

Now we’re talking, I thought. As an artist, I love nothing more than to use words or imagery with multiple meanings. I find the complexity intriguing.

So I had the first part of the name, but what next? I liked the thought of having a name with a good rhythm to hit, so Harmony & (one syllable word) fit the bill. Here again, the metre was as important as the meaning of the name. It had to roll off the tongue.

The first word that popped into my head was “blue”. “Harmony & Blue”. I goggled it to see what came up…not much. But after a little reflection, I didn’t like it. Mainly because I didn’t want people to think the music was blues. So, some more thinking…

Then “groove” came to mind. Hmmm, “Harmony & Groove”. Now we’re talking! I certainly wanted to write songs with energy, get people moving. Yes, it had a retro feel, but I intended to draw on some older influences anyway, so it fit.

I also thought that once you hear the name, you will know what kind of music we’re doing. This was confirmed last weekend when talking to singer who had heard the name but not the music. She asked if we were doing Motown. I told her no, but we certainly draw on Motown influences. It was a affirmation that I got it right. I hope you like it! – Jeffrey Carl