SCARLETT RANDLE is a messer.

The rising Scottish star has been making a name for herself messing with many things: she confuses perceptions of gender by drawing fake moustaches on herself before live sets, drops in plot twists at the end of her music videos and sounds nothing like a musician who started her career learning to play the violin in school.

"When I first started drawing the moustaches on my face it just made me cool. I thought I was the only person to do it, but since then I've seen a few other artists doing it. When I first dressed in a suit, as well, I felt that it was me and what my inner child had always wanted.

"I wouldn't have said that I found gender really important in music, or something that I preach about, I just do what I think and people can take what they want from it. Gender and genres, to me, are just social constructs. It's nice to ignore that.

"It's nice to express yourself in different ways that are cool. I think other people would do it if they weren't so scared to be seen as different."

Although she only has a handful of officially released singles, Aberdonian Scarlett has been taking the Scottish music scene by storm. This year she has played both TRNSMT and Belldrum, and the Great Western Festival will be her next stop.

"TRNSMT was definitely a highlight of my year this year. I remember the security staff helping us carry our amps to the edge of the Green. It was filmed by the festival and played on the TV whilst Stormzy's set was on. It's memories like that that are the reason why I see Glasgow as my home."

Scarlett's latest release, HER, is about her love for another woman and the action of the video is about when love becomes obsession, seeing herself being described as a queer icon in the emerging music community.

"I wrote the song about a girl and it would be stupid to not have a girl in the video.

"I didn't want it to be an LGBTQ+ video, but I won't be bothered if people do see it like that - if I had seen that when I was younger, I would have been happy to know that that had existed. Those spaces are hard to seek out in the city, but it's important that they are found."

Taking to the stage later this month at the Great Western Festival, this seems to be just the beginning for Scarlett. Let the games begin. CARLA JENKINS