Evan Stanley and Nick Simmons addressed public backlash surrounding the name of their joint music project, Stanley Simmons, clarifying that they did not choose the title to exploit their fathers’ fame.
The two artists are the sons of KISS icons Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. Following the project’s launch, some music fans argued that the duo deliberately highlighted their family ties by combining their surnames.
During an appearance on the Sound Advice series by SoundExchange, Evan explained that the name came about simply due to how fast the project developed.
“This happened so quick,” Evan said. “We were just, like, ‘Here’s the Venn diagram of what we both love. Here’s the overlap. Let’s do that.’”
Evan pointed out that many famous groups used the same approach. “Crosby, Stills & Nash used their names, and Simon & Garfunkel used their names.”
Nick mentioned several other classic examples. “Hall & Oates. Even Jimmy Page, when he left Led Zeppelin, did Coverdale-Page.”
Nick noted that they wanted an honest presentation rather than an image built on family history. “This whole thing was supposed to be not a gimmick. It was supposed to just be sort of us being kind of, ‘Here we are. Here’s what we like,’ without much affectation.”
He added that he did not anticipate negative reactions about the name. “There was a couple of comments of, like, ‘Oh, they’re leaning into the dads.’ And we were, like, ‘Oh, I didn’t even really think about that.’”
Nick continued: “It’s my last name. I wasn’t trying to like whack that nail real hard on the head there.” Evan explained that public comparisons would happen regardless of their career path. “I could be a landscaper, and if I was the best landscaper in the world, someone would be, like, ‘But his dad’s in KISS, so he was around plants growing up.’”
He added: “You can’t escape it, so you just gotta do you.” Evan dismissed claims that the name served as a deliberate marketing strategy. “It’s on my birth certificate, man. What do you want me to do?” Nick stated that while he accepts his background, he wants the music to stand on its own merits. “I don’t wanna get away from it, and I don’t wanna use it.” He added: “I hope everybody treats me as harshly as they would any new band.”
Stanley Simmons plan to release their debut record, Dancing While The World Is Ending, on August 28, keeping their focus entirely on the music.
