What's in a Name?

This band is called Pale Monsters. Let's answer the stock questions:

What’s that about?

When we talked about naming the band, we had a song called Pale Monsters. Everyone dug the name, and it stuck.

Are we going to be a band with a song named after the band, like Black Sabbath Black Sabbath?

We can’t say. It’s not one of the songs we just finished recording, so we haven’t had to address the topic. However, it is within the realm of possibility, which is kind of awesome and kind of stupid.

What does 'Pale Monsters' mean?

The song is about Moby Dick. In the book Moby Dick is often referred to as the White Whale. Its whiteness is a major feature throughout as is its depiction as a monster. So white = pale + monsters.

Why do we want it as a band name?

Moby Dick is a monster to Ahab and the crew. They view the White Whale as evil manifested. However, the main character Ishmael is not so sure. Maybe the whale is just a whale, and Ahab is imposing his own meaning on it. Ahab seeing Moby Dick as the personification of evil has more to do with Ahab than it does Moby Dick.

That idea is what I love about the name. It’s in the song too - the monsters we make are our own. That’s not to say there are not terrible things in the world. However, Pale Monsters is referencing how we impose ourselves and our fears onto other things. Often it’s more about us than anything else.

So that’s what the name Pale Monsters is all about. Making monsters in your life. Turning something into something greater than it is, maybe in your head, maybe for real, to you there’s no difference.