XpoNorth 2015 Music Showcasing Artists Announced

Fri 24 Apr 2015 / News

NORTHERN EXPOSURE FOR EMERGING MUSICIANS

MORE than sixty of the most exciting new music acts have been selected to unleash their talent in Inverness before a high-powered audience of creative industry insiders and high-profile music fans.

The acts have been selected from a record number of submissions to creative industry festival, XpoNorth.

The annual Inverness-based XpoNorth festival (formerly goNORTH) is devoted to boosting creative careers in the Highlands and Islands and beyond.

It takes place this year on Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th June at venues across the Highland capital.

Earlier this year, musicians were invited to apply to be part of the festival’s all-important showcase. A record number of acts applied to play at the creative industries festival, which is completely free  for members of the public to attend.

For selected acts, there is also the chance of appearing at Beauly-based Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival and Loopallu in Ullapool later this year on specially curated XpoNorth stages.

The only event of its kind in Scotland devoted to crafts, publishing, screen and broadcast as well as music, XpoNorth is also attended by leading creative industry insiders, who take part in workshops, panels and masterclass sessions over the course of both days.

By night, XpoNorth’s influential new music showcase takes music stars of tomorrow from the UK and beyond and places them on stages across Scotland’s most northerly city over two nights. Each act plays a strict half hour set.

Festival Director, Amanda Millen, said: “Giving a platform to emerging talent and offering free practical, hands-on support is what we are all about. Showcasing the best new music has always been an integral part of the festival, but XpoNorth is now a wide-reaching festival which brings together a host of elements under one creative umbrella.

“We have key players in the fields of screen, broadcast, gaming, fashion, writing, publishing and music taking part over the course of the two days and two nights. If you are trying to forge a career in the creative industries, then Inverness on 10th and 11th June is THE place to be. You’ll also be able to hear the music of artists everyone will be talking about in the next year!”

Details of short films selected for the curated XpoNorth film showcase will be announced on Friday 1st May, with further details of the festival programme to follow.

EDITOR’S NOTES:

The showcase list in full:

A SUDDEN BURST OF COLOUR 
ALICE BENTLEY
ALPHAS
AMATRART 
ARTHUR NICHOLSON
BEAR ARMS 
BEST GIRL ATHLETE 
BITE NIGHT
BLOODLINES
BROKEN BOY
CARA MITCHELL
CATHOLIC ACTION
CITIZEN 9
CRASH CLUB
DECLAN WELSH 
DED RABBIT
FINN LEMARINEL 
FOREIGNFOX
FOREVER
FRIENDS IN AMERICA
GALES
GARDEN OF ELKS
GET IT TOGETHER
HECTOR BIZERK
HUXTABLE
ICE IN MY EYES (Luxembourg)
IN:TIDES
JOSEPHINE SILLARS
JR GREEN 
KATHRYN JOSEPH
KILL THE WAVES
KLOË (Official XpoNorth Aftershow)
LE THUG
LIONEL
MAN OF MOON
MEGAN D
MISS IRENIE ROSE
MØGEN
MONOGRAM
NIEVES
PALE FIRE
PINACT
POOR THINGS
REDOLENT 
SARA BILLS & THE HASBEENS
SCHNARFF SCHNARFF
SEARCHING FOR DONKEYS
SPRING BREAK
SUNSHINE SOCIAL
THE BONGO CLUB (Sweden)
THE BROKEN RAVENS
THE GREAT ALBATROSS
THE MIRROR TRAP
THE RAGAZZI
THE REVELLERS
THE SHITHAWKS
TIJUANA BIBLES
VLADIMIR 
WE CAME FROM THE NORTH
WOMPS
WOODENTOOTH
YUKO YUKO (The Netherlands)

XpoNorth takes place this year in Inverness on Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th June.

The four genres under the collective banner of XpoNorth are:

XpoNorth Crafts/Fashions/Textiles and XpoNorth Writing and Publishing 
Supported by Emergents, the network which co-ordinates HIE industry networks for craft, fashion and textiles as well as writing and publishing. It is managed by Pamela Conacher and Peter Urpeth, who both bring extensive experience in their respective fields of craft, fashion and textiles, and writing and publishing, to XpoNorth.

XpoNorth Screen and Broadcasting 
ScreenHI is headed up by Amanda Millen, who is also director of XpoNorth. ScreenHI is the Screen and Broadcast Industry Network for the Highlands and Islands and has been operating for four years. It offers experiences, job opportunities and industry networking to screen and broadcast businesses in the Highlands & Islands.

XpoNorth Music is managed by former goNORTH music producer Alex Smith along with the team at Ironworks Venue. It has been established as the new Music Industry Network for the Highlands and Islands and will be delivered by Ironworks Group. The 2014 festival showcase schedule in Inverness included much-lauded emerging artists such as Neon Waltz, Baby Strange, Ella The Bird, Hector Bizerk and Broken Records.

XpoNorth, is funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the European Regional Development  Fund (ERDF).

Website: www.xponorth.co.uk

Twitter: @XpoNorth

Facebook: www.facebook.com/xponorth

Instagram: www.instagram/xponorth

Hashtag: #xponorth

For further info or interviews please contact Jan Patience on janpatience@me.com and 07802 427207 or Alex Smith on alexsmith@xponorth.co.uk  and 07718 130241