This year's goNorth features an unprecedented number of international artists joining some of the hottest new Scottish talent in Inverness on June 7th & 8th. Bands from the US, New Zealand, Russia, France and Scandinavia, will be on a bill which will see eight city centre venues hosting over 60 acts.

"We have had a record number of applications from a wide range of countries outside Scotland," says goNorth organiser Shaun Arnold. "It's fantastic that the event is now attracting interest abroad as well as throughout the UK."

Foreign acts include Big Bang (Norway), Die Die Die (New Zealand), Ultra Mega Technobandið Stefán (Iceland) and Paul Causon (US).

However, Arnold adds that the two thirds of the line up will still feature Scottish bands, as it has in previous years.

"We continue to be committed to the Highlands and Islands, and a third of the acts are from the region, with another third from the rest of Scotland," he says.

These include Highland favourites Call To Mind and Theatre Fall, as well as Sergeant (Dunfermline), Popup (Glasgow), We Are The Physics (Glasgow), The Law (Dundee) and Fiction Action (Aberdeen).

This year also sees the addition of a dedicated electronica stage, featuring both bands and DJs, while Friday's singer/songwriter stage will showcase acts taking part in a two-day writing workshop sponsored by PRS.

"We love the idea of musicians meeting on the Wednesday, collaborating on the Thursday, recording the songs on the Britbus studio on Friday morning and then performing them at night," says Arnold.

Among those taking part will be The Boy Who Trapped The Sun from the Highlands, Aberdeen songstress Amber and American keyboardist Richard Causon, who has worked with acts including Ryan Adams, Jayhawks, Kings of Leon, Sugababes, Keane and Alanis Morissette.

Twenty acts performing at goNorth will also appear at the event's XFM-sponsored stage at Rock Ness, which takes place on June 9th & 10th.

"I would personally like to thank all the applicants, and encourage those who did not get through this year, not to be put off applying in the future," adds Arnold. "It is also worth keeping an eye on our goEvents site [www.goevents.info] as we are always on the look out for exciting new talent for our other events."

NOTE TO EDITORS
1. goNorth was launched in 2002 to bring the music industry to the North of Scotland and provide a platform for acts from the Highlands & Islands and the Aberdeen area. In addition to dozens of free gigs, the two-day event also features seminars, receptions and label presentations. goNorth is funded by Highlands & Islands Enterprise, PRS, and Cultural Enterprise. Acts which have performed at the festival include Cosmic Rough Riders, The Cinematics, Croft Number 5, My Latest Novel and the Fence Collective, including King Creosote. This year goNorth will take place in Inverness on June 7th and 8th, to coincide with Highland 2007, Scotland’s Year Of Highland Culture. In previous years it was hosted in Aberdeen.

2. Highland 2007, the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture, aims to promote the Highlands and Islands as a great place to live and to visit through showcasing the unique and special nature of Highland culture past, present and future.  The project is a partnership between three principal funding agencies: The Highland Council, the Scottish Executive, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.  The year long celebration of Highland culture in 2007 will incorporate an exciting range of major and community events, as well as capital projects and ‘The Highland Promise’ for young people.  See www.highland2007.com for full details.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PICTURES AND INTERVIEW REQUESTS CONTACT Olaf Furniss, goNorth Tel. 07974 572 072 goevent.info@googlemail.com www.gonorth.biz