Armed In Advance (AIA) are the Auckland rock band formerly known as Stitches, and they have just announced a tour and a new single to go with their new name.

The new name represents not only a fresh start, but a necessary step away from a drug dealer/rap artist from the US that shared the old name.

The rise in fame of the US rapper Stitches only proved truly problematic when the band’s online distribution channel believed the respective artists to be one in the same, putting the band’s Debut EP Harder Times under the rapper’s profile on the online streaming platform Spotify.

The group were already considering a change as the writing process became more collaborative following the release of the record, and are now advancing forward with a new name all to themselves. With an unchanged line-up and the back catalogue retained and featuring in live shows, fans can also expect plenty of new material to come, starting with the new single Shallow.