Irwin Sparkes
| The Hoosiers | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Origin |
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States Bracknell, Berkshire, England |
| Genres | Pop rock |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | None |
| Website | www |
| Members | Irwin Sparkes Alan Sharland Sam Swallow |
| Past members | Tony Byrne Tom Easey Martin Skarendahl |
The Hoosiers are an English-American pop rock band formed in Indianapolis, Indiana in 2003 and relocated in Bracknell, Berkshire. The band consists of members Irwin Sparkes (lead vocals, lead guitar), Sam Swallow (keyboards, backing vocals), and Alphonso Sharland (drums, percussion).
Their first single "Worried About Ray" reached number 5 on the UK Singles Chart in July 2007. In October 2007, they released their debut album The Trick to Life, which reached number 1 in the album charts. The band released their second top ten album The Illusion of Safety on 16 August 2010 and was preceded by the lead single "Choices" which was released on 1 August 2010, it reached the UK Top 20.
In July 2015, bassist Martin Skarendah left the band in what was described by the remaining members as "one of the most amicable decisions in music history".
Formed in Indianapolis in 2003, "Alphonso" Raymond Sharland (drummer) and Irwin Nathaniel Sparkes (lead singer and guitarist) spent some time in the United States, encouraged by their chemistry teacher (Grant Serpell, who was part of the band Sailor during their fame in the 1970s), in an attempt to broaden their horizons. The pair won themselves a football scholarship at the University of Indianapolis, despite a reputed claim to be "allergic to running" (a claim which is backed up by lead singer Sparkes' asthma).
Their time spent in Indiana inspired the band's name, as a citizen of Indiana is colloquially called a Hoosier. Having gathered enough material to compile an album, Al and Irwin returned to London, where they met Swiss keyboard player and sound engineer Duri Darms and Martin Skarendahl, a Swedish ex-fireman who was then working with Darms as a recording studio engineer and studying at The London Music School. The original group included two band members (Tony Byrne and Tom Easey) who had left by this point, leaving Sparkes and Sharland to replace them with Skarendahl.
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