Set against the stunning backdrop of Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway, Electric Fields is fast becoming one of Scotland's finest festival experiences. Small and intimate yet consistently boasting an impressive and diverse line-up of acts, Electric Fields' popularity continues to grow with each iteration.

Now in its fifth year, the festival is set to expand, going from a thousand-capacity one-day event in 2014, to a mighty three-night bonanza in 2018, with Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, James and Leftfield heading up the bill. But aside from the headliners, the festival will play host to some of the best up-and-coming talent that Scotland has to offer, ranging from punk bands and DJs to indie-pop outfits and electronic duos.

We catch up with four of those acts: Glasgow grunge band CRYSTAL, indie-electronic two piece Chuchoter, producer / multi-instrumentalist Wuh Oh, and Dundee duo ST.MARTiiNS, to hear their thoughts on the Dumfriesshire festival.

CRYSTAL / credit: Jannica Honey
On playing Electric Fields for the first time

Anna Shields (CRYSTAL): 'We've never been to Electric Fields before. I think what I find most appealing is the diversity within the lineup. As a frontwoman of a rock band it's so inspiring to share the stage with a multitude of other amazing, strong women.'

Chuchoter: 'We love that EF is so diverse this year, gender-wise. We mainly listen to shouty women and non-binary people, so it's really cool to be working with people who value good music from a broad range of folk. EF seems like the kind of place where people are ready to engage with something more intense than what they usually listen to, or hear something they didn't expect.'

ST.MARTiiNS: 'We've never been but we're so excited to be part of it. I love how inclusive the line-up is and the location. It's great to be asked to perform alongside many acts we love, particularly Soccer Mommy and Young Fathers!'

Wuh Oh
On sharing the bill with some of their favourites

Anna Shields: 'I can't wait to see Idles, Sunflower Bean and Dream Wife, as they're some of my fave bands at the moment. This is also the biggest festival we've played to date so it'll be a new and amazing experience for us.'

Chuchoter: 'This year, we're most looking forward to Lady Leshurr, we just think she's so badass and being a woman who makes fat beats in a genre that's so male-centric is so important. Our stage times don't clash and the "Queen's Speech" totally slaps so we've gotta be there. Brush yr teef!'

Wuh Oh: 'It feels extra nice to be invited to play two years in a row, especially since Baboon couldn't make it last year as he was away producing Daft Punk's next album. Baboon's mostly excited about getting the spotlight on him at long last. I wouldn't mind seeing James though. They're just fun.'

ST.MARTiiNS

On what audiences at Electric Fields can expect from their sets

Anna Shields: 'We are a grunge band and at the moment our sound takes a lot of influence from 90s grunge in particular. We take inspiration from bands such as Nirvana and The Breeders and we really try to capture that sound in our music.'

Chuchoter: 'This year we've really got our sound together in a way that feels like us, and with the EP on the way we've pretty much got a brand new set. We try and shoot for something that sits snugly between Carly Rae Jepsen and Grimes, something intense that also bangs at pres. Expect nasty, dancey, roaring pop!'

ST.MARTiiNS: 'Our sound is difficult to explain but there are evidently jazz-inspired guitars and dark vocals.'

Wuh Oh: 'They should expect to taste the unknown. We want to create the strangest sounds that will ever make you dance. Intense, continually surprising and always playful.'

Electric Fields, Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries & Galloway, Thu 30 Aug–Sat 1 Sep.