Nick Simmons and Evan Stanley, sons of KISS legends Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, addressed the reasoning behind their band’s name and their openness to criticism in a recent conversation shared on SoundExchange’s “Sound Advice” content series.
The discussion touched on why the duo decided to use their surnames for the band, referencing musical duos who did the same before them.
“[W]e were never gonna be like ‘The da-da-da.’ That just seems super lame,” Evan Stanley said. “And we figured, well, Crosby, Stills and Nash used their names, and Simon and Garfunkel used their names.”
Nick Simmons went on to explain that the choice was never meant to trade on their fathers’ fame, despite how it was perceived by some.
“This whole thing was supposed to be not a gimmick,” Nick Simmons said. “It was supposed to just be…’Here we are – here’s what we like,’ without much affectation, hopefully. [T]hen there [were] comments, ‘Oh, they’re leaning into the dads.’ And we…didn’t even really think about that. It’s my last name. I wasn’t trying to like whack that nail real hard on the head.”
He also spoke about welcoming criticism as any new artist would face, rather than expecting special treatment because of his father’s legacy.
“I hope everybody treats me as harshly as they would any new band,” he said. “I hope people react to the songs as the songs – and if they hate it, I hope they express that equally harshly. I don’t mind; I welcome it. I think there’s a lot of us who are tangentially related to show business, and the ones that stick around – like the Nicolas Cages and the Angelina Jolies of the world – are the ones who deliver good work at the end of the day.”
Evan Stanley added that ultimately, the music itself will determine the band’s staying power, regardless of their family connections.
“All art is entirely based on the market, and if there’s no demand then it goes away,” Evan Stanley said. “People might listen to something the first time because of a name, for sure. But they’re not gonna listen the tenth time. They either connect with it or they don’t. … We’re just trying to make music that we love.”
Their comments come at a pivotal moment for Stanley Simmons, as the project has been steadily building momentum since its formation.
Nick Simmons and Evan Stanley introduced their band to the world in December 2025 with the debut single “Body Down.” The release set the tone for a run of singles that followed, including “Temporary Love,” “Cellophane” and “Don’t Leave Me Here Like That.” Each track has offered a window into the pair’s musical identity as they’ve worked to establish Stanley Simmons as its own entity, separate from the shadow of KISS.
That effort is culminating in the band’s debut studio album, “Dancing While the World Is Ending,” slated for release on August 28. The album represents the most substantial statement yet from the duo. It pulls together the singles they’ve released over the past several months into a full-length project meant to showcase their range beyond any single song.
Alongside the album rollout, Stanley Simmons has announced its first-ever U.S. tour, set to kick off later this year. The tour marks another step in the band’s evolution from a studio project into a live act. It gives Nick Simmons and Evan Stanley the chance to test their music in front of audiences who may be hearing it for the first time without the built-in association to their fathers’ legacy.
The band has repeatedly stressed that it wants to be judged on its own merits. The combination of a debut album and a first tour puts that philosophy to its clearest test yet. Whether audiences respond to “Dancing While the World Is Ending” as a standalone artistic statement, rather than as an extension of their fathers’ careers, will likely shape how Stanley Simmons is remembered moving forward.
