Name recognition is an incredibly important element of the music business. If you were a member of a successful band or two, then plenty of people are going to buy your solo album simply because your name is on the front. However, these seven artists chose not to go down that route and actually changed their names once they went solo.
1. Kathleen Hanna
Feminist punk icon Kathleen Hanna is primarily known for the work she's done with her bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, but in the brief time between those two bands, Hanna released her only solo album under the name Julie Ruin, experimenting with the synth-punk style she would later fully embrace with Le Tigre.
2. St. Vincent
Among the approximately 6,000 members of Dallas psych-pop band the Polyphonic Spree was a young guitarist by the name of Annie Clark. After leaving the band in 2006, Clark pursued a solo career under the name St. Vincent, releasing her debut album Marry Me in 2007.
3. Mike Kinsella
Chicago musician Mike Kinsella has been a member of a few prominent bands in the Midwest emo scene, including Cap'n Jazz, American Football, Owls, and Joan of Arc, but the longest running and most successful of his projects is his largely acoustic solo work, which he releases under the name Owen.
4. Black Francis
Though the lead singer and songwriter of the Pixies is credited as Black Francis, his actual name is Charles Thompson. When Thompson decided to pursue a solo career after the Pixies split up in 1993, however, he created yet another pseudonym to perform under: Frank Black. When the Pixies reunited in 2004, Thompson returned to the Black Francis moniker.
5. J. Tillman
Though J. Tillman rose to fame as the drummer for Seattle folk band Fleet Foxes, his solo career actually dates back to 2004, two years before Fleet Foxes even formed. After leaving the band in 2012, however, Tillman changed his solo moniker to Father John Misty and released his first album under that name Fear Fun the same year.
6. Will Oldham
Alt-country pioneer Will Oldham began his career releasing music under the name Palace Brothers, which gave off the illusion of being a full band despite Oldham being the sole creative force. After switching the band name to Palace Music in 1995, and then releasing one album under his own name in 1997, Oldham adopted the name Bonnie 'Prince' Billy in 1999, and has released 12 albums under that name.
7. David Johansen
As a member of the New York Dolls, David Johansen was one of the key figures in the development of punk rock. After the Dolls split in 1977, Johansen pursued a solo career under his own name, releasing five studio albums from 1978 to 1984. In 1987, however, Johansen adopted his Buster Poindexter persona and began singing pop songs inspired by lounge music and Calypso, including the dance hit "Hot Hot Hot."
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