News: RUFUS Announce Name Change For North America
2 min read
Ahead of their debut appearance at SXSW, RÜFÜS have announced they are changing their name and will be known as RÜFÜS DU SOL in North America, remaining as RÜFÜS across the rest of the world.
The change comes after months of strongly worded letters and colourful internal debate regarding an existing US trademark on the name Rufus. Jon, James and Tyrone from the band did not want to make the name change, but came to the realisation that they would be forced to in order to officially release their #1 ARIA and J award nominated debut record, ATLAS in North America.
The album will be released by Columbia records in the US and Canada, making RÜFÜS just the second Aussie export to be signed to the US powerhouse label since 80’s legends, Men at Work and indie rock darlings, The Temper Trap. “It’s pretty humbling being on the same label as so many iconic artists,” explains vocalist Tyrone Lindqvist. “I still have my Fugees CD with the big Columbia stamp on it…. not sure if they are gonna try to do that to ATLAS,” he jokes.
In other exciting news on home turf, RÜFÜS managed to chalk up an impressive three tracks in Triple J’s Hottest 100 on the weekend, including Tonight at #91, Desert Night at #34, Take Me at #21 and an additional two songs in the top 200 including Sundream at #184 and Unforgiven at #191.
RÜFÜS will be heading over to tour the US and Canada in March to play a run of fifteen shows set to kick off in San Francisco on March 7, heading through Austin for SXSW, up north to Calgary and Vancouver, finishing off in Denver in early April.
US/CANADA TOUR DATES:
March 7 San Francisco, CA Popscene @ Rickshaw
March 8 Los Angeles, CA CYP2 @ Echoplex
March 11 San Diego, CA Bang Bang
March 12-15 Austin, TX SXSW
March 19 Calgary, AB Commonwealth Bar
March 20 Vancouver, BC Fortune Sound Club
March 21 Seattle, WA Neumo’s
March 22 Portland, OR Holocene
March 26 New York, NY Highline Ballroom
March 27 Washington, D.C U Street Music Hall
March 28 Miami, FL WMC TBA
April 4 Chicago, IL Bottom Lounge TBA
April 6 Denver, CO TBA
