In just under a month’s time we’re going to be listening to some of the greatest bands on the planet – yes, welcome back Reading Festival. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Biffy Clyro and Foals are just some of the big names set to headline this year’s event at Richfield Avenue, Reading.

Here we speak to bands about their upcoming shows, held over the bank holiday weekend August 26-28.

FOUR-piece Manchester act Spring King have just released their new album Tell Me If You Like To ahead of their show on the NME stage on August 28.

Here Victoria Birch speaks to frontman Tarek Musa.

Tarek has a day off work and is in Manchester… “I’m off in terms of off the road, I’m at home today. I try and see my family if they are around, or go and see friends who aren’t in the band. Catch up with people that I don’t see for months at a time. Basically sit around and write some songs maybe, or just relax.”

So you’re still working really?

“Well, it’s weird because I was in an interview this morning and the band were calling it work, I don’t know, it feels like a huge privilege still and it’s great.

How would you describe your sound to anyone who hasn’t heard it?

I would probably say it is somewhere between The Clash and The Beach Boys - pop melodies. We are a really big fan of pop music, especially from the ‘60s, then we love playing with distorted amplifiers. We have a big punk influence in our personal lives. We are between hard-edged punk and ‘60s pop – in a way.

Name the bands that have inspired you: This project came about a couple of years ago, I was just at home and for some reason I was on Spotify and I put on The Beach Boys who I had never listened to and I put on Pet Sounds, that a lot of people talk about. It was that album that made me want to write songs. I’ve always been in a band but I have never been a song writer. When I heard the Brian Wilson’s song writing, I thought ‘wow, I want to do this.’

Your latest album has just been released. Do you get nervous before releasing new music?

Yes, wondering what people think. But as a band we have to be proud of it, have to love it. As long as we are proud of it, we hope the fans take to it as well. I do get nervous because we have a lot of respect for our fans and we hope they enjoy what we do.

Personally I always get nervous before shows. I don’t think that will ever change.

So what do you have planned for Reading Festival?

We played last year too, which was really cool. Then we played an after-party. This year I just want to see as many bands as possible. We are playing the NME stage with a few bands we know. The guys from 1975 are there. We kind of crossed paths in the skate park when we were younger.

Have you had a good response at this festival before?

Yes, so at Reading and Leeds last year the crowds went absolutely crazy, that’s what made it so special. It was a huge childhood dream for us to be playing Reading and Leeds. I think it was Reading where there was a huge mosh pit, and it was quite emotional as we had never seen the crowd go so crazy for us at a festival.

It must be great to be on stage and see the crowd. I expect the fans don’t realise you see them because they think you’re concentrating?

Yes, I always recognise faces. When we played at Manchester I recognised so many of the faces. And after the show we like to come out - there is nothing exciting about a back stage area. There’s exciting things out there, and one of them is speaking to your fans who are splitting with their hard-earned money. Especially students.

Clean Cut Kid will be ripping up the Festival Republic Stage on August 28. Here the Liverpool band – Mike Halls, Evelyn Halls, Saul Godman and Ross Higginson - answer our questions…

How would you describe your sound to anyone who hasn’t heard it?

Guitar-driven pop band, with a lot of fuzz and a hell of a lot of hair. Imagine Zeus on guitar, Tigger on bass, Mother Theresa on keys all singing Fleetwood Mac-style harmonies while every member of the Foo Fighters plays drums at the same time.

Do you feel a pressure to live up to Liverpool’s music heritage?

Weirdly, not really! It’s a very kind and accepting city, always open to new sounds and new bands. The fact that probably the most influential band of all time came from our city makes us proud, but I don’t think it makes us feel any pressure. We just do what we do and we’re glad people like it enough for us to keep doing it!

Which bands inspire you to write music?

We take inspiration from greats like Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Fleetwood Mac, Paul Simon... and more recently we’re really loving the writing of a girl we found at SXSW, Margaret Glaspy. St Vincent too is always cooking up something interesting, so we keep a close eye on her and her writing.

Who is the most popular member of the band and why?

Mike, coz he is a bearded guitar God. (not a direct quote)

What do you have planned for Reading Festival?

We’re gonna try to at least finish our set, last year they pulled the plug coz we ran over...!

What’s your most memorable gig?

Probably this tiny pub we rammed out in Liverpool earlier this year. It was the hottest, sweatiest thing we’ve ever experienced. There were people passing out and I saw one guy get sick into a pint glass then just kept dancing (lad)! The owner came running upstairs screaming towards the end because the ceiling was on the edge of caving in and everyone had been evacuated downstairs! We had to chill it out a bit after that… And 5000 people singing along as Glastonbury this year was pretty memorable too!!

Where would you like to be in a year’s time?

Main stage baby!

Fickle Friends are a Brighton-based five-piece made up of Natti Shiner, Chris Hall, Jack Wilson, Harry Herrington and Sam Morris. The band will be kicking off proceedings on the NME stage on August 26.

How would you describe your sound to anyone who hasn’t heard it?

Them sexy indie pop vibes.

You did two years of solid touring to get recognised. How do you cope with being on the road for so long?

It wasn’t something we really thought about just because we were so hectic with the tours. We were doing it DIY and everyone had a role to play which left little time to think about the fact we’d actually done like 25 festivals and had forgotten what our own front door looked like ha! Right now it’s like going on some mental holiday with your best mates. I’d like to say that our tour manager, FOH and tech keep us sane but they don’t… they’re as mad as us!

What’s your essential item that you take with you?

Me personally…headphones. Let’s me escape when I need to. That or a good book. Or my laptop…for ALL the films. Am I allowed to choose 3 essentials?

Do you think other bands could benefit from such a long stint touring?

I mean it definitely allowed us to build a fan base the old fashioned way and that in turn enabled us to get a record deal at the right time. It depends how you wanna go about it. I’d 100 per cent recommend to any up and coming band that they tour the **** out of the UK. It’s been tough… particularly without any money, but it’s paid off for sure.

What’s the most memorable venue you have played at, over that time?

I think it’s probably KOKO in London. We’ve played there three times now. But it’s the first time that was most memorable. Definitely the biggest venue we’d played until that night and we came straight from another show at the Garage with JAWs. We were on such a mad high and nothing prepared us for that crazy club NME crowd. We came of stage thinking ‘yeh man I could get used to playing shows like that’.

Do you have anything special planned for Reading festival?

Ha! Someone asked me this the other day. We’re recording our album this summer (in between festivals) so we’ll be trialling a few of those during our set. I think we’re just gonna vamp everything up a bit. BIG stage, BIG expectations ya know? It’s kinda terrifying and exciting.

What band has influenced your sound?

I couldn’t really name ONE band to be honest. There’s just so many. Phoenix, Two Door, Bombay Bicycle Club, Michael Jackson… the list goes on.

Where does the band name come from?

My friend and I wanted to learn to DJ and we thought it would make a good Duo stage name because we always used to bail on each other. We were the original fickle friends. This band isn’t so… it’s kinda of ironic.

What’s next for Fickle Friends?

Well I’m typing this from the studio in LA where we’re cracking on with the album. Then it’s back for the rest of the festivals, back to LA one last time and then who knows. Right at this moment I’m going to make a pot of coffee because we’re hella jet lagged!!! See yaaaaaa

Rag ’n’ Bone Man – or Rory Graham as he is also known – has been an underground name for the last few years. He will be taking to the BBC Radio 1 Dance Stage on August 27.

How would you describe your sound to entice someone to listen to your music?

It's a fusion of gabba, gypsy techno, Chinese folk and operatic jazz.

I'm joking obviously, I think it's best not to label myself. It's nice to let the audience decide.

What inspired you to start writing music?

I don't think I have a choice, it's my outlet.

But in particular there's an artist called Darrell Scott, he's one of my favourite song writers.

At a time when I was considering jacking in the music thing he inspired me to keep writing.

Which artist has influenced your sound?

All the great hip hop of the 90s up until present.

Pharoahe Monch, EPMD, Gangstar, Kanye West, Pusha T, Wu Tang, Fugees, And all the music I listened to growing up in my mum’s house like Al Green, Sly Stone, Aretha, Muddy Waters.

What do you have planned for Reading Festival? Who are you looking forward to catching?

I really want to see Stormzy, we met at 1xtra a couple years back and I've never got to see him live.

We've been on the same bill loads but I keep missing him. His energy is incredible and I have been into grime for a long time. He's bringing his A game at the moment!

What song do you wish you had written?

Lil Ghetto boy - Donny Hathaway. It's a straight classic!

What would you be doing for a day job if music wasn’t an option?

Well I used to work as a carer for people with learning difficulties, that was a really cool job so I'd probably go back to that.

What’s next for Rag ’n’ Bone Man?

Many more festivals, my own tour across UK and Europe. A full album. Basically world domination! Oh and a well-made cup of tea.

See www.readingfestival.com