More performers have been announced for Cumbria’s newest music festival, created by British Sea Power.

The county’s most successful and eccentric outfit are hosting Krankenhaus at Muncaster Castle in September.

Among those booked are Snapped Ankles, Bo Ningen, Squid, Pictish Trail, Will Burns & Hannah Peel, Penelope Isles, mylittlebrother and more announcements are to be made.

The festival will also feature “talks, walks and weird and wonderful things”, including New Order and Joy Division drummer Stephen Morris reading from his new book, Record Play Pause.

The festival is a relaunch for the band, which originally formed nearly 20 years ago in Kendal but moved to Brighton and released their first album, The Decline of British Sea Power in 2003.

“We staged a couple of festivals a few years back at the Tan Hill Inn in Yorkshire, the highest pub in the country. They were great and we always planned on doing another,” says guitarist Martin Noble.

“But we couldn’t scale it up and although they were held in May, people who camped still had ice on their tents.

“Last year we looked for new locations and decided on Muncaster and then a castle in Kent by the sea for next year.

“We wanted it to be near the sea, not because of our connection but because people could have a break by the beach and make a bit of a holiday of the festival.”

He says Muncaster was suggested by bassist and singer Eamon Hamilton after one of his regular yomps through his native Cumbria.

“I was walking across the fells toward the sea,” says Eamon. “Following the sounds of the little steam trains running along the valley.

“Then what looked like some ominous megalithic stump came into view. As I got nearer I made out turrets and cannons. I couldn’t quite believe it – and now I can’t wait to play there.”

“The criteria for the festival was to include bands that we liked.

“We wanted a 50-50 split between male fronted bands and female-fronted bands.

“When we first drew the list up it was mainly all-male bands and we said ‘we really don’t want this’. We’ve got a good balance now.

“Tan Hill was like having a party with friends and that’s what we want again.

“It’s a way of having a good weekend with our friends. We’re saying ‘this is what we like and you will have a good time, trust us’.

“It’s like saying ‘all back to ours’.”

BSP will be playing three times over the weekend, including a special Sunday morning set that Martin says will be “either a film score, or just play our most chilled-out tracks.”

They will also be splitting off into their own separate bands to play over the festival. 

As for the name of the festival, Martin said: “We had an EP called Krankenhaus years ago and called our Brighton club night Krankenhaus too.

“We like the way it appears to mean ‘broken house’ but Krankenhaus means hospital. A place where people go to get fixed and made better.”

n Krankenhaus, Muncaster Castle, September 6-8, for tickets and information, go to www.britishseapower.co.uk.