INTERVIEW
Hoosiers This? READY TO POP AHEAD OF THEIR APPEARANCE AT THE BIG WEEKEND, MIRIAM BALANESCU SITS DOWN WITH ONE HALF OF THE HOOSIERS, ALAN SHARLAND
t’s been 15 years since the tracks Worried About Ray , Goodbye Mr A and Cops and
second guessing, whereas if you’re writing to please yourself, you’ve got one variable,” Alan says. After bassist Martin Skarendahl departed the band, Irwin and Alan reached a new stage of their relationship. “Having been through what we have together, experiencing the music industry from all angles, we’ve found ourselves in a place where we can work together in a really positive way,” Alan beams. “We see the world from a different point of view now. It’s our responsibility to write from what we know, with having kids and more responsibility, going through the industry and reaching highs.” Their most recent sonic stop-off, an ambition since 2003, was a football- themed collaboration with Woody & Kleiny, Route 66 . “We were just waiting for the right time,” Alan, an Exeter City fan, says. “It never felt right to do it as The Hoosiers.” Readying themselves to release another album, one thing has remained the same. “Lyrically, saying
2 July
Robbers topped the charts, blasted out of radios and flurried onto iPods. But The Hoosiers, now down to its two core members Irwin Sparkes and Alan Sharland, have shown no sign of slowing down. With a new album, Edinburgh Fringe two-man show and football anthem added to their list of recent accomplishments, things keep looking up. “I don’t think we’ve ever been more excited by writing music than we are now,” enthuses Alan. Having cooled down since the initial Hoosiers heyday, the hurricane of the music industry is a constant inspiration, motivating their comedy debut in Edinburgh. Self- Help Yourself Famous saw the duo rip into showbiz as their alter-egos Felix & The Scootermen. “When things are going well with a major label, everything is fine because everyone is happy,” Alan explains. “But with the pressure that mounts, when it doesn’t go
TOP BILLING Alan Sharland (left) and Irwin Sparkes (right) make up headliners The Hoosiers
as well, there’s panic. It doesn’t bode well for music – or creativity in any form – if you’re being pushed.” Musically, The Hoosiers have long been evolving, straying from an unapologetically kooky pop sound (which, to many, defines them) and entering a steadier creative phase. “We’d been writing music for ten to 15 years, trying to find what we thought suited us and was genuine,” says Alan. “After the first album, because it was so in-your-face, we wanted to stretch our legs and try something different. You’re always reacting and doing what you feel is right at the time. It takes a long while for an artist to find their rhythm and place. It’s
something in a different way is what we’ve always pushed ourselves towards,” says Alan. Much of their upcoming work is inspired by the pandemic, and the wildly differing reactions to it. Those heading to The Big Weekend can expect to hear Hoosiers classics. “Loads of people come up to us in their twenties and say: ‘That’s the first album I ever bought.’ There’s definitely a sense of nostalgia. It makes me feel old!” On performing their biggest hits, Alan says: “We must have played them thousands of times, but I don’t think I’ve felt bored by them yet.” The Hoosiers will headline The Big Weekend on Saturday 2 July at 9pm.
a shame, these days, that nobody’s given enough time to do that.” Their melodic path has taken detours around synth-pop, dance and club genres, but the duo have now looped back to their most authentic sound. “If you’re writing to please others, you’re always going to be There’s a sense of nostalgia. It makes me feel old!
CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK JULY 2022 33
Powered by FlippingBook