We caught up with The Dead Formats back stage before their headline show at Leeds Rios, to chat about how the band came together, plans for a full length album and much more.

How did you guys form as a band and how did you come up with the name The Dead Formats?
(Glenn) We toured together in other bands, it naturally happened really. We have been together as this band for about two years now.
(Spence) The name just came out of a conversation really, its better than the other name that we had.

What are your influences and whom would you say contributed to your current musical style?
(Glenn) The Jam, The Clash are the main influences really, bands from that time. We are not really inspired by what's going on at the moment. Its more about the classic stuff for us, nobody has really touched it since then.

In June you released a mini album, how was the recording process and are you happy with the finished product?
(Spence) Yeah we recorded that a long time ago. To be honest we record the record with a mate of ours onto a laptop in the room we practice in. We did must of the guitars and vocals in his house, we did not really imagine it to be what it was, its wicked it has turned out how it has.

What are your favourite tracks of the record and why?
(Glenn) Step it Up, its the first song where we have really pushed ourselves its a whole different place.
(Spence) It was a turning point for us.
(Glenn) From then its changed our whole way of approaching music.

Do you have any plans to start work on a full length record any time soon?
(Spence) Yeah plans are underway.
(Ditton) We have got a couple of tracks put together that we will be playing tonight, that will be on the record when it comes out. We can not really give a time on when it will be out, we just want to make sure its the best record that we can write.

You have not long been signed to Visible Noise, how did this come about and how does it feel to be signed to such a respected label?
(Glenn) We always said that Visible Noise would be the best label because the bands are varied on their roster. They push their bands out to Europe and stuff like that and that's exciting for us. We have gone from struggling to get shows in Essex, playing five or six times a year to this, it's crazy.
(Spence) Frank Carter got in touch with us as he had checked us out on Myspace and put us on a show, it was at the show where someone spotted us.

It was announced on Tuesday night that you will be playing Sonisphere Festival in August, are you excited about his and what bands on the line up will you be watching?
(Spence) Excited yes
(Glenn) Other bands no! For me the idea of playing Knebworth is mental, especially if you look at the gigs that Oasis have put on there. To play a place as big as that is great and its fucking Batmans house in the first Batman film. We wont know what to expect until we get there.
(Spence) Its the first out door show for us too.

How would you describe your live show and what is your favourite song to play live?
(Ditton) We see it as trying to get the songs across in the best way possible and trying to get everyone that's watching on board with what we are doing.

Do you have any funny stories from your time on the road?
(Glenn) We are new to doing this, we have hardly ever played out of our city. We have not really been doing it long enough for anything funny to happen.
(Spence) We have not broken down yet.
(Ditton) Greggs just stole £5 off me. Greggs short changed me for a cake, denied me of my £5 I had to argue with them. At the end of the day they cashed up and they were £5 over, they rang me up and announced they would be sending me a cheque and some vouchers for some cakes.

You guys are from Essex, are there any good new bands from that surrounding area you think we should check out?
(Spence) A Broken Robot, check them out they are South End boys.

What do you think about the current state of the music scene?`
(Ditton) Its crap.
(Glenn) Its all pretty shit if I'm honest. I think everything that has come out at the moment is boring. I can not get excited about anything its soulless.
(Ditton) Its just the same old stuff being reproduced by the same old bands.
(Glenn) I think magazines need to give bands that are not necessarily for that magazine more coverage. There are bands that are good that people wont listen to because they have been in NME or something like that.
(Ditton) There is a lot more to music than Green Day, not being harsh on Green Day or anything. Thats what the magazines or TV are putting out there all the time, there is so much more to music than those bands.
(Glenn) I think people need to concentrate more on British bands that are British bands, there are to many British bands that act American and sound American, it does not make sense to be doing that.

Where do you hope to see The Dead Formats in five years time?
(Ditton) We are going to take it a day at a time.
(Glenn) We will still be playing music, I hope we are still together in five years time and we have managed to make a mark

Okay, one final random question; if you had a choice, what animal would you be out of a Zebra and a Giraffe?
(Ditton) I'd be a zebra as its black and white.
(Glenn) Yeah nice one.

Thanks for your time, is there a message you would like to give to your fans reading this?
(Ditton) Nice one, thanks very much.
(Spencer) Come and say hello, we are normal people.

Interview By Ellie Pockley