Welcome to the latest newsletter, where we delve into the very genesis of Squire and consider the origin of the name!
When bands form, they often spend considerable time deliberating over the perfect name—one that captures their sound and personality while also being simple and catchy. This process, typically done in a democratic fashion to reach a group consensus, often takes place in a pub after rehearsals. It resembles more of a pub quiz night than a serious marketing strategy meeting, drawing inspiration from favorite bands and genres, and ultimately considering how the name will look when they finally make it to Wembley Stadium!
The mod revival provides a few excellent examples of appropriate choices that not only tie the band to the genre but also provide historic connections and clues to their influences. For instance, the name "Purple Hearts" has a dual reference, borrowing the amphetamine slang term which connects to the 1960s and the general mod ethos of speed, late nights, and living fast. Additionally, the more distant relationship to the U.S. Purple Heart medal may suggest toughness or resilience, especially since the band emerged with a proto-punk sound as The Sockets. Hence, the name is a combination of their musical influences and a nod to mod culture.
The Chords name similarly based their connection on the melodic traditions of the 1960s, particularly bands like The Who, The Kinks, and The Small Faces, who were key influences on the mod revival movement. The simplicity and directness of the name also aligned with the straightforward, energetic nature of their music, which combined elements of punk with the more melodic and structured sounds of 1960s mod bands. Many bands attached "The" to their names, a classic 1960s trope.
The Merton Parkas derived their name from a combination of local geography and mod culture. Merton Park, in southwest London, was where some of the band members were from. It rooted the band in a specific place, giving them a local identity and authenticity, while "Parkas" in their name is a direct reference to the iconic piece of clothing associated with the original 1960s mod culture—the fishtail parka, an enduring symbol of mod identity.
All bands use the iconography of arrows, targets, repurposing fonts from scooter logos and other mod related graphics and styles.
One can continue through the list of bands with mod connections, imagining the initial intentions behind names like The Small Hours, The Killermeters, and The Mods(!). Meanwhile, Secret Affair's name suggests a band that’s in the know, part of an exclusive scene with a certain degree of sophistication and taste.
This name would appeal to fans who saw themselves as part of a distinct, stylish group, and it predates the mod revival, but already shows a deliberate intention to establish an exclusive, stylish subculture set apart from the mainstream.
But what about Squire? The name "Squire" was chosen early in the band's history, back when they were a schoolboy covers band in Woking, Surrey.
They rehearsed above a shop in Woking called Squires, and the name was likely a gesture of thanks to the shop owner. However, there wasn’t any deliberate mod reference in the name. In fact, the band originally had a heavy metal sound, covering Status Quo songs, and existed before the punk era, let alone the mod revival.
While other local bands, like The Jam Band, shortened their name to The Jam for catchiness, and updated their image as they set their sights on London and the big time, Squire’s choice seemed rather unconventional.
At the same time, Anthony and Kevin were leading a very 60s mod-flavored band called "The Numbers," while Squire was still rooted in its covers phase. Despite this contrast, when we all got together, Enzo and Steve felt that reusing the name "Squire" might attract their friends, who would recognize it and realize it was their mates playing. The logic was short-sighted yet clear: by keeping the familiar name, they could draw people to their local gigs, especially in pubs, thereby securing more opportunities to play.
When Squire arrived on the London scene, the decision to stick with the name "Squire" seemed less relevant and perhaps an awkward choice, compared to mod bands who were wearing their influences in their names. Promoters were slow to connect Squire to the mod revival until we established our reputation by supporting everyone we could!
The stripy jacket or boating blazer became the "Squire Jacket," singling us out as fashion-forward and most definitely 1960s mod influenced.
However, there are remarkable coincidences that tie many of these threads together. The 'Squires' shop in Woking, a men’s clothing shop, was likely named after The Squire Shop in London! The London shop provided an 'Ivy League' mod silhouette of fashion.
The Squire Shop was based on Brewer Street in Soho and Kings Road in Chelsea. Even more bizarre, Anthony ran a business on Brewer Street for years, and Squire’s first major single was "Kings Road"! These serendipitous connections emerge when you trace back, researching likely Squire and mod associations rather than relying on prior impeccable knowledge or claiming foresight in the early days!
The Squire Shop was owned by Jon Simons, known as "the man who dressed the mods." After an apprenticeship in Central London, he opened his first shop, The Ivy Shop in Richmond, before moving on to The Squire Shop, The Village Gate, and his current shop, still based on Chiltern Street in Marylebone.
The subject of a recent film documentary by Mark Baxter of Mono Media Films, we won’t go into detail here but have added the trailer which provides an explanation of how the modernist perspective connects music, art, clothes, style and lifestyle. The film is available on DVD or Amazon Prime.
Hence the Squire name does indeed have impreccable mod connections, which align with our similar impeccable music and taste, and the lyric ‘white socks, loafers, sta-prest, and button downs' from Noonday Underground perfectly conjurs up the description of The Squire Shop as curated by Jon Simons!
Finally, on a similar note, we still have a few of the recent limited run of White and Navy Squire -Its A Mod Mod World T-shirts in stock! Don't miss out! Click on t-shirt for link.
All the best from Squire