Monday, May 26, 2014 12:37pm ET by  
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Pressparty chats to The Hoosiers' Irwin Sparkes about social media, regaining creative control and music

Last week, Pressparty sat down for a chat with Irwin Sparkes from The Hoosiers and discussed the importance of social media in the music industry, the rise of the guitar-pop band, and his band's impressive success and longevity. 

Hello Irwin! How are you? 

“I’m alright, you’re catching me as the mid-tour delirium has settled in. I’m sounding all bunged up, but it won’t stop me from giving you the interview of a lifetime! (Laughs) We’ll see where we get anyway! I’m just finishing up a very small bowl of onion soup as the rest of the guys got in and finished it off before me, so if you hear any slurping just carry on!” 

How’s the tour going?

“It’s going very well, thanks. It has been a weird one because we’ve been in hibernation having taken a little break, so you’re always a little unsure of how people will respond to it. There are lots of people still coming out to see us […] it’s interesting because a lot of people that heard us were maybe, like, 15 when we came out and now they’re seeing us with a sense of nostalgia as well. The new tunes seem to be going down really well and the set seems really strong – we feel really confident in how we’re playing live."

Are you playing a good mix of older and new material?

"It’s a source of constant debate with the band as to how much we do play… we’re providing quite a few new songs so it helps if people haven’t heard the new album as it’s a good time to check it out. We’re also definitely playing a lot of songs people will know!"

You released your new album, ‘The News From Nowhere’, on your own label. How did this liberation impact the record and influence the creative process?

"We did indeed, yeah. We ended up setting up our own label just to do it. Part of the reason was that when we were looking at, ‘do we go out and get another record deal’ after our relationship with SONY soured, we kind of thought that ultimately we’re very fortunate and have some beautifully loyal fans so we were able to give them the album that we really wanted to make. Otherwise there wasn’t much point in making it. I think there’s that danger with a label; there’s a lot of pressure to get played on Radio 1 and sell half a million copies before you’re considered a success." 

What was it like to get that sense of creative control back after being under a major label contract? 

"At this point there’s no other reason to do it to be honest. It’s not like we’re living in mansions and driving sports cars to band practice, you know? Unless you include an Oyster card and the overground (laughs), which is the more middle class way to travel, I think, in the London sphere! It’s more just a case of being able to evolve and allow ourselves that freedom."

"We’re just starting to get that advertising campaign in full effect with online ads on Facebook and YouTube, which is pretty much what our budget allows for. Whereas before you’ve got a big label putting a million (pounds) behind you and giving you TV adverts until you’re sick of your own face!" 

 

 

Do you think social media has helped you to go off on your own and take this DIY approach to recording and releasing an album?

"I think it’s something that wouldn’t have been possible a couple of years ago. There’s a really strong argument for how a presence on social media can demystify a band and there’s something to that… because, suddenly, you now know what all of One Direction had for breakfast. That’s public knowledge and enters the public forum. We’re trying to use it the right way and a lot of that is because we’re all mates and it’s a gang thing… we still have a great time and we try and let that show however we can."

Do you and the other members of The Hoosiers all still have a great relationship?

"We do, I mean, it has genuinely been quite tough and there has been a lot of friction, but it’s… the fact that we’ve come so far together and it’s like we’re all in this together. You do become a family and it feels increasingly rare because a lot of the bands and groups that are around today are generally more on the manufactured side." 

"While I totally understand that, I’d find that really hard because it’s great to be doing a job that you love with people you love. Even though we fall out and there’s real conflict, and at times you didn’t think there’d be another album after this just because it has been so tough to make it…" 

How did recording and releasing this new album on your own label influence the songwriting?

"I think it had an impact on how we approached the songwriting. On a major label, there’s that pressure to have three or four singles that kind of hit you over the head after one listen and you can’t sleep at night because they’re still irritating you then… it was just a very natural process for us, on this album, that do require a couple of listens. What we hope is that they’re growers and, for us, those are always the favourite songs we love to listen to. There’s also a lot of truth in the lyrics about distance and optimism, and choosing to be optimistic about the future. We certainly are. We aren’t going out with a whimper, we’re definitely coming back and we’re swinging. We’ve been alarmed by the admission ourselves that it’s the most fun we’ve ever had on tour. It’s not our biggest tour, but it’s great. There’s a lot of love on the road."

 

 

 

What are you listening to at the moment?

"War On Drugs, really liking War On Drugs at the moment. Always loving Bruce Springsteen - got a big place for him in my heart. Let me look up my playlist… Sun Kil Moon, Mac DeMarco. Maybe alternative? The slightly alternative genre, but not so much heavy – there’s got to be something alternative in terms of how the chords are put together, or a lyrical skew, so that it has a unique voice."

"Even Lorde, you know, with ‘Royals’? I still can’t believe she’s 17 and wrote that because those lyrics capture that spirit of emotion… there’s a depth to it, but it’s very much a pop song and still has such an alternative spirit. Even Kanye West, there’s something alternative there. He’s interesting and relevant, and progressive."

What do you think of this new wave of guitar-pop bands, such as 5 Seconds Of Summer or The Vamps?

"I think… there are some really talented people doing things and they’re obviously connecting to people. There’s a market for that. I guess for me to comment on that, as a guy in his thirties, I’m aware demographically that this music isn’t written with me in mind – it’s intended to be marketed towards a teenage girl. I love the idea of rock making music timeless and ageless, and hopefully one day that’s something we’ll be able to get closer to. […] They’re beautiful boys making sweet songs so good luck to them!" 

"That current culture of being famous for nothing… even boybands who are playing instruments, at least they are… effectively, the fame that will come to them will be as a result of them being good at their job hopefully, rather than just looking good in tight t-shirts or whatever it is. There’s an actual reason that people should be into them. It’s a nice lesson for people to have – that fame is a by-product of being really good at something."

Watch The Hoosiers' music video for 'Make Or Break (You Gotta Know)' below: