In an appearance on PEOPLE (the TV show!), Lady A spoke about the name change they underwent over a year ago.

Originally named Lady Antebellum, the group changed to Lady A in June 2020, at the height of racial injustice and the Black Lives Matter movement, after many linked the term to the owners of enslaved people.

“George Floyd’s murder caught our attention so much and just talking to our friends we knew from history lessons what the word antebellum meant, but understand what it meant, how it made people feel. people – we had never asked ”, Scott during the interview. “And so when we did, we unanimously realized that this word is offensive.”

“After a while, when you start hearing some of these comments, you’re like, ‘Whoa, I don’t want people to think that about us,’” Kelley added.

The group, consisting of Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, made the announcement of the name change on their social media accounts.

Dear fans … pic.twitter.com/7JlcH2NMl6

– Lady A (@ladya) June 11, 2020

“As a band, we have strived to make our music a refuge… inclusive for all. We have watched and listened more than ever in recent weeks, and our hearts have been stirred with conviction, our eyes wide open to the injustices, inequalities and prejudices that black women and men have always faced and continue to face. daily. Now blind spots that we didn’t even know existed have been revealed. After much personal reflection, group discussions, prayers, and many honest conversations with some of our closest black friends and colleagues, we have decided to remove the word “antebellum” from our name and move on. ‘before as Lady A, the nickname our fans almost gave us. from the start. “

Today, the trio are moving forward at full speed with the release of their eighth studio album, What a song can do, in October. Last summer, Lady A was able to hit the road again and start connecting with her audiences during her tour.

“We had planned to go on the road for our previous record, oceanKelley told American Songwriter. “The minute this pandemic started for us was when this tour was canceled – that’s when it was like, ‘Wow, that’s real. “I think back then we thought, ‘Okay, this won’t last but a month or two.’ Then it was like, ‘Oh no … it’s going to stay a while.’ We tried to postpone the tour, but in the end we just had to cancel it.

Scott added: “We had to turn away from so many plans last year … very grateful. After so many months of uncertainty as to the timeline of our lives, we are just so grateful and thrilled to be able to do what we love once again.