UP-AND-COMING Indie outfit Starsailor are about to set sail in a bid to conquer the world!

Just days after putting their finishing touches to their album, the group are preparing to up sticks and tour various countries in a bid to spread the word further.

Fronted by Chorley 21-year-old James Walsh, the group are planning gigs in London and Manchester next month as well as at V2001.

But before that, they will have to overcome more than a little jet-lag.

The group have already performed at the Norway Quart Festival in, er, Norway, and gone all-transatlantic and performed at USA Joe's Pub in New York and the Irving Plaza in New York, playing alongside their heroes Doves.

An appearance at the Opera House in Toronto also raised their profile, with mad Canadian fans paying platitudes to the group on their official website.

Dates in Holland, Brussels, several in Germany, and Sweden all took place as the group worked on their album, due out later in the year.

Up next however, are trips to the Astra in Tokyo, two nights at the Sydney, and two at the Hi-fi in Melbourne.

Gigs in Germany and at Dublin's Witness Festival have also been announced before James and his three bandmates play Manchester's University on August 15, followed by London's Astoria on August 16.

Although their dates this summer seemed wide and varied, James believes his favourite of the lot has already taken place -- playing at the Fleadh, London concert last month. James said: "The thing were looking forward to most was the Neil Young gig, The Fleadh, because he's always been a massive hero of mine and most of the lads in the band.

"I just think that he doesn't care what people think about him, and that's what makes him so good.

"He's just stayed in the same mind set and wrote the same songs about the way he felt at the time."

He added: "The whole thing at the moment is an honour, and we are surprised how quickly it has taken off.

"We never imagined people would like us so much. It's such an honour to play music at a job. It's one of the things that everyone goes for.

"All the bands that we admire, Doves, Ed Harcourt are now our peers. It's a strange situation to be in when you're so young."