Former Dixie Chicks wanted to change ‘stupid’ band name ‘years ago’, say Natalie Maines and Martie Maguire

‘We were literally teenagers when we picked that stupid name’

Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines and Emily Robison of The Chicks on 27 February 2014 in Beverly Hills, California. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

The Chicks – formerly known as the Dixie Chicks – wanted to change their “stupid” band name “for years” before finally taking that step last month.

Members Natalie Maines and Martie Maguire commented on the name change in a new interview with The New York Times, published on Wednesday.

“We were literally teenagers when we picked that stupid name,” Maguire told the newspaper.

“We wanted to change it years and years and years ago,” Maines said, adding: “I just wanted to separate myself from people that wave that Dixie flag.”

The trio changed their nickname to The Chicks last month, dropping the “Dixie” part.

The original band name was a nod to the song “Dixie Chicken” by the rock band Little Feat.

In the US, “Dixie” is used to refer to Southern states – especially those that used to be part of the Confederacy.

According to The New York Times interview, the trio were already regretting the name by 2003, which is when they faced major backlash due to comments made by Maines about then-President George W Bush and the US-led invasion of Iraq.

Back in June, Lady Antebellum also changed their band name, choosing to go as Lady A instead.