An indie band has dropped "British" from its name after 20 years, blaming a rise in "antagonistic nationalism".

       British Sea Power formed in Reading in 2000 and enjoyed two decades of albums and tours under the name – a wry reference to an already vanished naval supremacy.

       Now the six-piece band has decided to drop the term "British", with an online statement saying: "The band formerly known as British Sea Power have modified their name to simply Sea Power.

       "The name British Sea Power had come to feel constricting, like an ancient legacy we were carrying with us.

       "In recent times there's been a rise in a certain kind of nationalism in this world – an isolationist, antagonistic nationalism that we don't want to run any risk of being confused with.

       "It's become apparent that it's possible to misapprehend the name British Sea Power. We always wanted to be an internationalist band, but maybe having a specific nation state in our name wasn't the cleverest way to demonstrate that."

       The band, which began as British Air Power before moving to Brighton to take advantage of the local music scene, hopes fans will accept the name change.

       Members including founding brothers Yan and Neil Wilkinson have said the change does not reflect their views on Britain as a whole.

       The statement said: "We all feel immensely fortunate to have grown up in these islands. Several of our songs are filled with love and awe for this place. We do love these lands. We all still live within the British Isles, but we are now just Sea Power."