With just over one week to go until PennFest returns with the biggest line up yet, it’s not just the audience who are looking forward to three days of incredible music.

Scouting for Girls front man, Roy Stride, admits the band are raring to getting out on the stage next week when the popular festival returns to Penn Street.

He said: “We can’t wait for PennFest, it’s probably the closest festival to where we’re from, so it’s really nice for us to perform here. We grew up in Ruislip and now Greg lives in Chesham and Pete lives in Chalfont.

“We have got so many family members coming along to watch us, there will probably be more of them in the audience than anyone else.

“I love festivals, they’re one of the reasons I got into music in the first place. When I was younger I went to Glastonbury like ten times in a row, I just love all of that.

“The summer is the best time for us as a band because it’s just non-stop festivals.”

So what can fans expect to see from the pop-rock band when they take to the main stage on Friday, 17 July?

The band are famous for their catchy tunes like She’s So Lovely, Heartbeat and This Ain’t a Love Song, so festival goers can rest assured that they will be playing some of the favourites.

Roy said: “We’ll be playing pretty much all of the classics. We’re like a real crowd pleaser at festivals because we play all the songs people like. There will be all the old singles as well as a few new ones and we do a few ridiculous cover songs. It’s good fun.”

The band are also set to debut some new material from their fourth album, which is due to be released in October.

Roy said: “Our new album out in October so it’s a really exciting time for us at the moment. I think it’s more exciting when you play new songs for the first time.

“Musically, the new album is very acoustic. It has harmonies and strings. It’s a grown up version of our first album. It’s slightly more mature and there are still songs about falling in love.

“At the moment, I love playing the new songs because the reaction we have got from them so far has been really positive. But when you play the classic songs like She’s So Lovely and you can see people jumping and singing along, that’s really amazing too.”

As well as a busy tour schedule which will see them head across the country and to Switzerland, the band recently filmed for Singing in the Rainforest, which sees musicians leave their creature comforts behind and embrace life with remote tribes from all around the world.

Roy told how their time with the Huli Wigmen was something they will never forget.

“It was insane. We went to Papua New Guinea for three weeks and lived with a tribe and wrote a song and recorded it there. We took all our recording equipment out with us and stayed with this tribe.

“It was the most surreal experience; it was amazing and a great life experience. It was totally mental.

“That show is coming out around the same time as our album so it’s a really exciting year for us.”

Being lifelong friends has helped the band cope with life on the road, as Roy says the three of them get along ‘like brothers.’

He said: “We’ve been playing music together for so long now. I have known Greg [Churchouse] since I was 11 and I met Pete [Ellard] when I was five. We got a record deal eight years ago but we were playing music together for about ten years before we got that.

“We’re like brothers. Actually, we probably get on even better than brothers. We’re definitely like family. We’re best mates. We spend a lot of time together.

“I think I'm the most annoying one out of all of us. If I wasn’t there, no s*** would get done.”

The band are now looking forward to the next year, which is set to be as busy as always for the three of them.

Roy said: “We have got a whole summer of festivals coming up, it’s like a party every weekend. The album comes out in October and then we’ve got a couple of singles scheduled for release and hopefully a UK tour next year. Then it’s festivals all over again. It’s amazing.

“It took us ten years to get a record deal so I still get excited that I can do this as my career every day. I get to wake up and go to the recording studio, or go play a gig.

“We all realise how lucky we are and we appreciate all the support from the fans.”

PennFest comes to The Big Park, Penn Street on 17, 18 and 19 July. For more information about the PennFest line-up and to buy tickets, visit www.pennfest.net.