#SFSTOUR16 Formation prepare to take to Liverpool’s Scandi Church: “are there loads of IKEA chairs?”

On 15th October, Formation are set to clatter into Liverpool’s Scandinavian Church bearing cowbells and dance-punk, as part of the first show to this year’s Stand for Something Tour. “We’re deconsecrating it,” jokes the band’s Matt Ritson. For a while, they’ve been a little confused about the venue, admits frontman Will Ritson; who thought the name referred to a chic and minimal décor style, at first. “Are there loads of IKEA chairs?” he quips.

Currently in the process of finishing off their debut album, the twins are itching to return to the stage; all their music, they say, is written with live performance at the centre. “Music is live,” Will says. “It has to exist live. What’s the point if it doesn’t have a life of its own, and breathe, and take on a personality?” he asks. “Formation is about bringing people together, to experience something. And nothing beats that live experience, of coming face to face, and having to confront what you’ve done.”

This summer’s taken Formation from the muddiest Glastonbury in years (“there were moments where we felt like breaking down, it was so muddy,” remarks Will), to accidentally supporting Lady Gaga when she rocked up at their Moth Club DJ set, and headlined the place. They also found their Google search responses completely wrecked by a certain singer named Beyoncé, thanks to her ‘Lemonade’ stand-out ‘Formation’. Not that Matt and Will are especially bothered, mind.

“Everyone around us was like, oh fuck,” says Will nonchalantly. “The first thing Matt did was remix the song.” “I got in so much trouble for that,” Matt sniggers. “Annie Mac played it. And then we had to get rid of everything to do with it.”

“On the first day, everyone was finding us by accident,” Will goes on. “It gave us a bit more room to separate ourselves from hype a little bit, cos Formation’s been taken up by something else much bigger. The song as well, you can see why she chose the name. It kind of reflects why we chose it, because of what it’s about, that political energy it has. I have no qualms. I respect her for that.