The Hoosiers

School friends Irwin Sparkes and Alfonso Sharland played football together on a scholarship to the University of Indianapolis, before returning to London to form The Hoosiers with Swedish bassist Martin Skarendahl (Hoosier is a colloquial name for someone from Indianopolis). Produced and managed by ex-Jamiroquai man Toby Smith, they honed their skills by rehearsing all night in an East End squat shaping a sound full of off-kilter pop hooks. Bursting with cheek and humour, singles Worried About Ray and Goodbye Mr A both broke the UK Top 5, becoming big summer radio hits and cementing The Hoosiers as a chart raiding new pop force. Debut album The Trick to Life (2007) became an even bigger success shooting straight to Number 1 and earning the tag "odd-pop" for its mix of indie rock influences, gurning chirpiness and summery, joyous melodies. For second album The Illusion of Safety (2010) the lads took a more electro direction and asked fans to contribute lyrics to the track Stop Giving Me Verses.