The Format
| The Format | |
|---|---|
The Format performing in 2007 at the Opera House in Toronto
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Peoria, Arizona, U.S. |
| Genres | Indie rock, indie pop |
| Years active | 2002–2008 |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | Fun, Destry |
| Website | theformat |
| Past members |
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The Format was an American indie rock band formed by Nate Ruess and Sam Means. The band announced a hiatus on February 4, 2008. Their style can be considered a mixture of indie, alternative, punk and folk music, with elements of 1960s and 1970s pop music. Though Means and Ruess are the foremost members of the band, they have played, toured, and recorded with Mike Schey, Mark Buzard, Don Raymond, and—for the DVD recording and summer 2007 tour—The Honorary Title's current drummer and The Format alumnus Adam Boyd. The Format chose their name to make fun of the music industry's inclination towards a cookie-cutter "format" for a hit.
Before forming The Format in February 2002, Means and Ruess, who had been friends since grade school, had been part of the band Nevergonnascore and released the EP "The Byron Sessions" as well as the band This Past Year, which had generated some record label interest but not a deal.
The duo's first single, aptly titled "The First Single" from their five song demo, EP, became locally popular on Phoenix radio station KEDJ and led to the duo signing with Elektra Records in 2002. Their first studio album, Interventions + Lullabies, recorded and produced by R. Walt Vincent and released in October 2003, was very successful around the Phoenix area. The band's fan base grew due to word of mouth, the Internet, and extensive touring. The album sold over 100,000 copies in the US.
After Elektra folded, The Format released a second EP, Snails, with sister label Atlantic Records in April 2005. As they began to work on their second full-length album, they drew on the influences of 1970s pop music, including Harry Nilsson, Electric Light Orchestra and The Beach Boys, and decided to collaborate with Redd Kross founder Steven Shane McDonald whom they brought on as record producer. But Atlantic Records executives were not impressed by the 1970s-pop-influenced demos and released The Format from its contract. Upon completing the album, Dog Problems, Ruess and Means, with help from their management company, decided to release it themselves through their newly established imprint label: The Vanity Label. Two months prior to the album's release, an MP3 version was leaked to the internet. In response, The Format decided to make the album immediately available digitally for only $7.99 via the Nettwerk Music Store, which led to the sale of over 2,000 digital copies prior to the album's official release.Dog Problems was released in stores on July 11, 2006. The day the album was released, an episode of MTV's My Super Sweet 16 featuring The Format aired, on which they performed at a birthday-graduation party for Priya and Divya Kothapalli from Nederland, Texas.
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