In the latest episode of the XS Noize Podcast, Mark Millar is joined by Irwin Sparkes and Alan Sharland from The Hoosiers.
Irwin and Alan join Mark for a warm, funny and reflective conversation about the band’s journey, their breakthrough success, and their new album Compassion. You can watch the full video version on the XS Noize YouTube channel below.
The Hoosiers first broke through in 2007 with their debut album The Trick to Life, which featured huge singles including “Worried About Ray” and “Goodbye Mr A.” In this conversation, Irwin and Alan reflect on that whirlwind period, the pressure of sudden success, and how they have learned to keep moving forward without losing the humour, heart and personality that made people connect with them in the first place.
The conversation also explores the band’s new album Compassion — a record about joy, self-belief, resilience, and trying to meet the world with a bit more humanity. Irwin and Alan discuss the ideas behind the album, how the songs came together, and why making music at this stage in their lives feels different from the early days of the band.
Mark, Irwin and Alan also talk about the relationship between humour and sincerity in The Hoosiers’ music, the importance of friendship and creative chemistry, and why connection with an audience still matters more than chasing trends.
At its heart, this episode is about survival, playfulness, self-belief and the strange magic of a band that has lived through the highs, the knocks and the comeback chapters — and is still finding new reasons to keep going.
Prefer audio? Stream the full episode below.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Podcasts | YouTube
‘Compassion’ Tour
6th October – O2 Academy, Oxford
7th October – O2 Academy, Bristol
8th October – O2 Ritz, Manchester
9th October – NX, Newcastle
10th October – Classic Grand, Glasgow
13th October – Islington Assembly Hall, London
15th October – O2 Institute, Birmingham
16th October – Chalk, Brighton
17th October – Waterfront, Norwich
18th October – Engine Rooms, Southampton
Order new album ‘Compassion’ and find tickets at www.thehoosiers.com
About The XS Noize Podcast
With more than 280 episodes, the XS Noize Podcast is a trusted home for in-depth conversations with music’s legends, innovators and trailblazers.
Hosted by Mark Millar, the show has featured guests including Glen Hansard, Steve Lillywhite, Matt Berninger, Gary Numan, John Lydon, Peter Hook, Crowded House, Elbow, Travis, New Order, Simple Minds, Shaun Ryder and many more.
The XS Noize Podcast is ranked in the Top 5% of podcasts globally by Listen Notes, has reached #1 in Apple Podcasts Music Interviews in Ireland, and has also charted inside the UK Top 5 reflecting its growing reputation for thoughtful, long-form music conversations.
Explore the complete XS Noize Podcast archive. New episodes drop weekly — subscribe for insightful conversations with the artists shaping modern music.
