The Format

Let’s Get to Know The Format

The Format began in 2002 in Peoria, AZ. The band members are:

• Mike Schep
• Sam Means
• Nate Ruess
• Mark Townsend Buzard
• Don “The Cookie” Raymond
• Sean McCall

Sam Means and Nate Ruess are the songwriting team behind The Format.

The band’s first album - Interventions and Lullabies - came out on major label Elektra in 2003 - a process that taught the band a hard lesson in the way major labels run their business. Ruess describes working with the major as getting the feeling that “if you’re not willing to play the game, we’ll just find someone else.” The label made good on their threat, dropping the band. Though offers from other majors came in, the band decided they wanted to do things their own way and founded their own Vanity Label imprint.

The autonomy was a boost to the creative process. Ruess says “it was great’ to go into the studio to record their second album, Dog Problems, without “feeling pressured to make an album full of singles.”

The lack of major label backing hasn’t seemed to hurt The Format at all, who have been winning rave reviews for Dog Problems and have an extensive US/UK tour planned for August/September 2006.

The Music

Dog Problems might just be the happiest break-up record ever made. The songs chronicle Ruess’ break-up with his longtime girlfriend (the title refers to the fact that every time Ruess and his girlfriend got back together, they bought a dog in hopes of “fixing” their relationship). So, how to make such depressing subject matter into the perfect summer record? Well, get producers like the aforementioned Steve McDonald of Redd Kross and Roger Manning of Jellyfish into the studio, revel in a little bit of lyrical sarcasm, and crouch it all in just-lush-enough-orchestral sounds, with a little bit of horn here, a few handclaps there…and well, I defy anyone to be sad when they’re listening to a glockenspiel. The contrast works wonders.

Production is what separates an interesting indie pop record from guitar-pop-by-numbers pap, and the production on Dog Problems does the boys proud. The songs are rich, but the touch is light, letting the sun come through.

Dog Problems is a record for anyone who likes XTC…Joe Jackson…The Pernice Brothers…Beachwood Sparks….The Posies…comparisons to The Shins and All America Rejects are obvious, but not fair - The Format deserve better. I’m sensing somewhere someone at Elektra Records is giving themselves a good, swift kick.

Tracks to check out - She Doesn’t Get It and Tune Out (Tune Out is from their first release - Interventions and Lullabies).

Listen to The Format

• The Format on MySpace - listen to a few tracks, check out their blogs, and get a full rundown of upcoming shows.

• The Format’s homepage - get a full band bio, plus the latest news, tour dates - and merch!