Two Tina Feys will be touring the Philly region in the coming months

Cincinnati musician Logan Nichols has never met Upper Darby native Tina Fey and he hopes their introduction isn’t through a lawyer.

He named his nascent “grindcore adjacent” band after the comedian, not really thinking it through or seeking her blessing. It was an idea that Nichols said came in a dream after falling asleep to Fey’s 30 Rock, a show he binge-watches in reruns annually and shares quotes from it with bandmates. When The Inquirer asked Nichols about a forthcoming tour in the area and the quirky band name, the guitarist let out a drawn-out, playful “noooo.” What if Fey hated being the name of a band that thrives in the chaos of guitars and drums?

“We don’t in any way mean any offense to Tina Fey. We adore Tina Fey,” said Nichols. “And our music has nothing to do with sitcoms.”

After speaking to his label, Nefarious Industries, and bandmates, Nichols leaned toward “bad press is still press” and agreed to an interview. Besides, both Feys are slated to tour the Philly region in the coming months; the meat cat (a reference) is out of the bag. Maybe the comedian would attend a grindcore adjacent show. If Fey doesn’t shut it down first.

Nichols’ fears are not unfounded. Entertainment lawyers advise against naming projects after film franchises or famous people to avoid a potential court clash. Of course, some artists do it anyway. Rapper Jack Harlow named a song after British popstar Dua Lipa and Salt Lake City native Jack Rutter named his solo project Ritt Momney, after Sen. Mitt Romney.

While Harlow claims Dua Lipa gave him permission to use her name and Romney took Momney’s name choice as a form of flattery, others have pushed back. Former President Donald Trump spent years warring with Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller online over the track “Donald Trump,” which propelled Miller into the mainstream. Trump even threatened to sue.

According to the U.S. Copyright Office, intellectual property law can protect artistic works from software and architecture to novels and music.

Copyright protections, however, don’t extend to names, titles, slogans, or logos — these can be trademarked. Plenty of celebrities, including Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian, consider their names part of their brand and have gotten them trademarked.

Beyond that, entertainment lawyer Simon Rosen urges musicians to look out for state laws that protect people’s names. In states like New York, an individual who doesn’t have a trademark on their name could argue they have a protectable interest, especially if they have an unusual name and don’t love your art.

“Some celebrities don’t care about their reputation, but they all kind of care,” said Rosen. “And they’ll pay a lawyer $50,000 without batting an eye to grant an infringement case.”

Nichols and his band kind of stumbled in a bit of a gray area of the law, said Philadelphia-area attorney Daniel Katz, who ran a record label for almost a decade. His advice is to err on the side of caution.

“If a band wants to be a professional band, like you want to sustain some of your life by playing music, it’s a really good idea to treat it, and I know that sucks, as a business in a lot of aspects,” said Katz.

Katz said bands should consider the likelihood of confusion when coming up with a name. Could your band be confused for its namesake? Or worse, is your band using a name another band has already trademarked?

Of course, hindsight is 20/20. For Nichols, the band was a personal project with friend Bryce Aasen on guitar and Shon Worthington, who completed the band in January 2022 by hopping on drums.

“All three of us believe that if you’re making music for anyone other than yourself, then you’re doing it for the wrong reasons,” said Nichols. “That’s probably why we named the band Tina Fey, because if anybody else is interested, that’s just a bonus.”

With their first two original songs out in the world, they’ll be playing in Philly and Trenton in early April with screamo, grunge band Louise. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will begin their four-city comedy tour at the end of April, ending in Atlantic City in early June.

Nichols hopes Fey is flattered by the band and its chaotic and fast-paced music that’s a bit politically charged — the song “Nuremberged” is something of a reaction to the Nuremberg Trials.

Though the Fey tours don’t overlap, the band’s inspiration is invited to its shows.

The Inquirer’s efforts to reach Fey’s management were unsuccessful.

As for the worst-case scenario of having to change their name? Band members don’t have a backup, so they’ll cross that bridge when they get there.