Methods and apparatus for allocating logical sectors and bands to store data on interlaced magnetic recording tracks. The systems and methods include formatting a data storage medium to include a plurality of bands, each band of the plurality of bands including a plurality of tracks, the plurality of tracks including a subset of top tracks interlaced with a subset of bottom tracks, and each track of the plurality of tracks including a number of sectors, formatting a first band of the plurality of bands, determining an isolation region of the first band, and formatting a second band of the plurality of bands responsive to determining the isolation region of the first band.