Rebranding to Hard Life
After facing a legal battle with the owners of the well-known airline easyJet, the British indie band formerly known as Easy Life has made the decision to alter their name to Hard Life. The group shared on Instagram that the past nine months had presented significant challenges but they have now launched a new single titled Tears, with a snippet of the music video featured in their social media announcement.
Legal Dispute with easyGroup
Last October, the band revealed their intention to change their name after being sued by easyGroup, the owners of easyJet, who claimed their original name bore resemblances to the airline brand. Allegations included the usage of an orange and white plane image similar to easyJet’s branding during their Life’s A Beach tour, along with claims of reputational damage.
Life’s A Beach tour poster
The Legal Battle
During a statement last year, easyGroup’s founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou accused the band of being “brand thieves”. Desiring to fight the case initially, the band recognized the financial burden it would impose, acknowledging the unfairness of the legal system’s bias towards larger entities in conflicts like this.
Despite arguments from supporters and industry figures claiming the similarities were harmless and fans offering to fund legal fees, the band had to accept defeat and rebrand. They emphasized that they had never intended to harm easyJet’s business in any way.
Post-Rebrand Announcement
Hard Life, formerly Easy Life, broke the news of their name change on Instagram, stating, “Hey it’s been a while. Safe to say the last 9 months haven’t been easy. New song Tears out now.” The band, known for their critically acclaimed music, released their debut single in 2017 and has seen success with two top 10 albums.
About easyGroup
Established in 1998 by Sir Stelios, easyGroup oversees various brands under the “easy” name. While easyJet and easyHotel are part of this umbrella, each operates as a separate entity.
