THIS is the Kit will headline Cloudspotting in the Ribble Valley this summer.

Kate Stables, the driving force behind the band, took some time out to answer a few questions about returning to the family-friendly festival and the band’s new album Moonshine Freeze, their first on the Rough Trade record label.

Kate, you first played at Cloudspotting in 2015. What are your memories of it?

Lordy, I can’t remember anything about the other festivals we’d played, but I do remember what an excellent feeling of relief and excitement descending upon me as soon as we got on site and started settling in. It was just the festival we needed! I also remember the amazing set that honey feet played the same night. Wowzers what a show and what an amazingly excellent band.

Were there ever times in your early days in particular where the financial constraints of getting the band on the road threatened to derail your ambitions as an artist?

The band have been amazing over the years at shoestring touring and roughing it. We still have to rough it to some extent but I’m pleased that these days I can pay the musicians a bit better for their skills and slog. We’re very much still in the realms of sleeping bags and sleeping on friends’ floors though. But I’m not complaining. It’s great to see friends and stay with them and meet new people. Although sometimes people are really expecting to “party with the band” which just isn’t realistic or sustainable for us on a nightly basis. We just need to grab some sleep before the next days inevitable early start and long drive.

With the early days of touring it was more of an extreme shoestring scenario That was when we were working with the most excellent and dedicated and generous and passionate DIY local promoters who were booking gigs (also on a shoestring) and sticking their necks out and taking risks all on our behalf. I’m so grateful to those people and those times.

Guy Garvey nominated Bashed Out as his ‘Album of the Year’ on 6Music. Does that kind of thing trigger an increase in sales ?

Not sure about sales. Probably. It definitely helps spread awareness.

Guy has been really supportive and we’re so grateful. When people come and say hi at shows they often mention that they heard of us through Guy Garvey. He’s an excellent guy!

Bashed Out was produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner but for the new album, Moonlight Freeze, Kate returned to producer John Parish who also worked on their debut album Krulle Bol in 2008

This album was totally produced from start to finish by John Parish. I’d been wanting to work with him again for a while and so I was so happy when it worked out that we could work together for moonshine freeze. His listening skills and taste and diplomacy and communication and openness are second to none. He make such excellent music and he’s a total pleasure to just be in a room with. An absolute gent.

Aaron was recording The National’s new album at the time but he very kindly did some correspondence course style recording sessions, where we sent him the tracks and he did some experiments and synth and guitar parts. Then he sent them back and with John we picked out the bits that worked best with the arrangements and where the songs were going.

Signing to Rough Trade must have felt like quite a big deal with all the associated history of the label and all?

Yes quite the legacy! I’m really happy its happened. They’ve got such a rich history in terms of the acts that they’ve worked with over the years. Loads of my absolute heroes. So it feels like a very fortuitous happening. It feels great to be working with people who seem to have a real passion for music and some kind of understanding of the world of independent music. I’m excited for what adventures lie ahead.

It looks like there are more of you at Cloudspotting this year, even a horn section. That suggests a bigger sound befitting of a festival headliner

For the past year or so we’ve been joined when ever possible by a small horn section. Jesse has been writing beautiful horn arrangements for the new sings but also past songs so it’s great to be able to make the most of those. Plus it’s just extremely fun to play with a horn section. Especially when they’re such great guys and ninja players. A real privilege.

And so yes they’ll be joining us at as many festivals as possible this summer.

This is the Kit headline Cloudspotting on Sunday, July30. The festival at Stephen Park, Gisburn runs from Friday, July 28 to Sunday, July 30. Details from www.cloudspotting-festival.co.uk