Max Raptor are set to star at Reading Festival’s BBC Introducing Stage. Victoria MacFarlaine speaks to singer Wil Ray ahead of their show.

Are you excited about playing Reading Festival?

Absolutely can’t wait. It’s what we’ve been building up towards for the last couple of years. We found out and then had to keep it quiet for about a week. And we found out, we'd just got back from a festival in Cheltenham and I couldn’t really sleep and I checked my phone and the email. I woke some of the boys up and we were kind of like little boys on Christmas eve.

It’s your first time at Reading?

We did download about two years ago that was great but it was before we released the album. But now we have the album behind us and people have perceived it well. We are really looking forward to it.

Did you always want to play Reading?

It was one of my first festivals in 2000, and it has got a close-knit vibe but at the same time it’s such a massive festival and the music is always really good. My mum used to go when she was a girl and she really loved it. She can’t believe that we are playing Reading Festival.

Anything special planned?

It all just kind of happens. We played a gig in Bude recently, and someone had an inflatable boat in the audience and I kind of got in it and surfed across the crowd. If people bring the boats, I’m willing to be the captain! (laughs) that sounds so cheesy!

All my mates are getting married and having kids and I’m like a little boy in a sandpit!

How would you describe your sound?

It’s fast, melodic, aggressive, the shows are kind of chaotic – in a good way. It’s fast British punk. Some people have said it has an American twinge to it. Not the vocals – I hate that – there’s so many bands on the circuit that sing in American accents, but I find it quite strange. You’re from Ipswich but you have an American accent! I don’t get it.

What are your fans like?

Our fans are the weirdest, collection of... they are just crazy. They always do something that’s weird, it’s great. We did a tour with The Stranglers last year and we picked up the older generation of punks. But we’ve got the younger generation, the hardcore kids, and people slightly younger than us – 22-23, so a big mosh pit of generations. It’s great. You have to see it to believe it.