How did Blur get their name?
The foundation of what became Britpop icons Blur was already in place by 1988. Singer Damon Albarn and guitarist Graham Coxon had known each other since their days as schoolboys in Essex, and the pair both enrolled in Goldsmiths College during the latter part of the 1980s. While there, the duo met drummer Dave Rowntree and formed a band called Circus. Only when fellow Goldsmiths student Alex James joined as the band’s bass player did Blur officially begin to take shape.
But the band wasn’t known as Blur at the time. They went by the name Seymour, a tribute to the J. D. Salinger novella Seymour: An Introduction. The band played in clubs and pubs around London throughout most of 1989, building up a moderate following while still attending college. By the end of the year, Seymour hadn’t had much in the way of original material or a fanbase. However, they did grab the attention of Andy Ross, an A&R man for Food Records.
Food Records wanted to sign Seymour, but there was one major hurdle to get over: the label didn’t like the band’s name. Unwilling to go back to Circus, the group were given a list of alternative names that could potentially suit them. Looking for something that was still short and punchy like their old names, the now-unnamed band scanned the list that Ross put together for them. On that list was “Blur”, which was quickly adopted as the band’s new name.
By October of 1990, the newly-rechristened Blur released their debut single, ‘She’s So High’. As one of the many acts who were living in the space after the Madchester movement had combusted, but before Britpop formalised, Blur initially adopted a shoegaze-adjacent sound that borrowed heavily from the dance scene that started to burn out. The band doubled down on that style for their follow-up single, ‘There’s No Other Way’.
Even though ‘There’s No Other Way’ went straight to the top ten of the UK Singles Chart, Blur became disenchanted with the musical identity that they had adopted. By that point, they had only been “Blur” for just over a year. There was still time for the group to change and shift. After releasing their debut album, Leisure, in August 1991, Blur discovered that they were deeply in debt to Food Records. In order to settle their debts, they embarked on a US tour in early 1992. The alienating experience would almost break the band, but the tour had the unintended effect of putting the band’s focus back on Britain. Their sophomore LP, Modern Life Is Rubbish, would be the true start of Blur.