American band Slaves have announced they will change their name after the release of their next album due to connotations with racism.

In a statement, the group explained they had named themselves in response to their battle with drug addiction.

Yet despite the band’s name not having anything to do with the slave trade, they still feel it necessary to get rid of the tag after their next album ‘To Better Days’ is released.

They said: "As individuals, as well as a collective, we hold certain virtues close to our hearts – honesty and transparency with our fans being some of the most important.

"The name ‘Slaves’ was conceived as a reference to the band’s battle with substance abuse in the past, to the idea that we become enslaved by our addictions and by our own demons.

"Our goal has always been to tackle these difficult subjects head on, as well as to build a community and share stories of hope to let others know that their inner demons can be defeated.

"However, this definition of the name neglects to take ownership of its racial connotations. As obstinate supporters of the BLM movement, we cannot continue to tie our music and our positive message to a word associated with such negative weight and hurt.

"‘To Better Days’ will represent the closing of one chapter and the beginning of another for the band. This is something we have been planning for a while and we are excited to start unveiling new music, new name, later this year."

The move comes in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement which has gathered momentum since the death of American George Floyd on May 25.

There is also a UK band from Tunbridge Wells titled Slaves, but there has been no comment from them about potentially also changing their name.