The Format was an indie pop band formed by Arizona natives Sam Means and Nate Ruess active from 2001-2008. Though Means and Ruess are the foremost members of the band, they have 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 co ... okie-cutter "format" for a hit. Despite this critique of the music industry, the band's aptly-titled first single, "The First Single" (from their five-song debut EP on Western Tread) became popular in the Southwest music scene. This success led to The Format's signing with Elektra Records in 2002. Their first major label release and full-length album Interventions + Lullabies was released in October 2003. However, Elektra began to fold into a merger just as the album was rolling out its promotion, leaving the band as merely an afterthought as label restructuring began. The band toured North America for about two years while making plans for a new album and waiting out industry red tape. The Format released a second EP on Atlantic (which had absorbed much of Elektra's roster after the label folded) titled Snails in April 2005. Although the EP was not a conventional mass release, it could be purchased at any of the band's performances, from their online merch store, and on iTunes. Not long after the release of the Snails EP, The Format was dropped from Atlantic. Due to their frustrating experiences with major labels, the band chose to record and release their second full-length album Dog Problems independently on The Vanity Label. The July 11, 2006 release of Dog Problems came two months after the band released the album for download on their website, in a move to combat an early leak. On February 4, 2008, The Format announced that they will be putting the band on hiatus, with Nate Ruess posting the following message on the band's website: We have just put out word that we will not be making a new Format album. Please understand this was a tough decision and we're both upset about it. While we accept there will be false speculation as to why, understand that Sam and I remain extremely close and in fact are still passing the Twin Peaks box set back and forth in an attempt to figure out who REALLY killed Laura Palmer. We also want to thank everyone with and within the Format, particularly Mike, Don, and Marko, whom without, none of this would have ever even been fully realized. We both suggest you support their musical talents and whatever they decide to do. And lastly we want to thank the fans who made this the best 5 years of our lives. Ruess has formed a new band called Fun with Andrew Dost of Anathallo and Jack Antonoff of Steel Train. Fun will begin recording their debut album this September with producer Steven McDonald, arranger Roger Joseph Manning Jr.; It will be released in Spring 2009.See more [+]
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