The Hoosiers Have Found Their Happiness in Compassion
“Compassion is such a huge term and I feel it doesn't get talked about quite enough. So much in the world comes as a result of its lack or its presence.”
Nearly twenty years into their career, The Hoosiers sound completely comfortable in their craft. ‘Compassion’, the band's sixth studio album, is feel-good and upbeat, with every track offering the warm familiarity of a classic Hoosiers song. With Irwin Sparkes' falsetto complementing every guitar strum, the album opens with ‘Multiply’, a funky, synthy track that immediately sets the tone for what's to come. It is bright, energetic and unmistakably The Hoosiers.
In an increasingly toxic online world, an album that places a positive message at the heart of its music feels particularly relevant. ‘Compassion’ doesn't pretend that life is easy; instead, it suggests that kindness and understanding are choices we can make.
“It's not always an easy choice to be compassionate. If a song we've written can help someone who's struggling with something, that's enough,” Irwin adds.
Compassion - The Hoosiers album cover
Behind the album is a recording process that was just as hands-on. ‘Compassion’ was recorded independently in just five days at Angelic Studios in South Northamptonshire, a residential studio built by the band's late producer Toby Smith. The band then spent around a year continuing to develop and mix the record, with Irwin even working on it from his shed. Having become increasingly involved in the technical side of their music, Irwin and Al have had to “roll their sleeves up” and become more hands-on with editing and reshaping their songs.
One of the clearest examples of this is ‘Sleeping With The Light On’, which was pieced together from ideas developed over several years. Bits and pieces of the song existed across different periods of the band's career before finally finding their place on ‘Compassion’.
It is a fitting addition to an album that feels so confident in its identity. The Hoosiers have spent much of their career experimenting with different influences and directions, but now seem more comfortable with what makes them who they are.
“I think we're really leaning into that Hoosiers sound now,” Irwin shared. Tracks like ‘Automatic Glow’ and ‘So High’ continue the funky, chunky pop sound, bringing movement and fun to the record, while the catchy choruses make ‘Compassion’ feel both hopeful and warm.
“Both Al and I feel that this is maybe our most cohesive album,” Irwin explains. There is a lightness to the album that makes it easy to listen to, with its upbeat energy and catchy melodies creating a sense of happiness without ever having to force it.
The Hoosiers 2026 UK Tour
With the album now out in the world, The Hoosiers will take it on the road later this year. Alongside their own shows, the band will also join Scouting for Girls for two major anniversary shows.
The shows offer a chance to celebrate both the band's past and present. The Hoosiers and Scouting for Girls were part of many listeners' soundtracks growing up, making the anniversary shows an inevitable celebration of nostalgia. But nostalgia is not something The Hoosiers shy away from.
“There is something special about being able to play a song nearly twenty years after it was released and still see people singing every word”. As Irwin explains, “if somebody in the audience is hearing a song live for the first time, that experience still matters”.
While hits like ‘Worried About Ray’ and ‘Goodbye Mr A’ could leave the band feeling trapped by nostalgia, Irwin sees something rewarding in sharing those songs with the fans who have loved them for years, as well as a new generation hearing them live for the first time.
“When you're met with that degree of acceptance and love that we get from our audience, you can't be anything other than that to them,” Irwin says.
That connection with their audience is perhaps what has allowed The Hoosiers to continue evolving without losing the identity that made people fall in love with them in the first place.
Most importantly, The Hoosiers sound completely comfortable being The Hoosiers. ‘Compassion’ celebrates their sound, their longevity and their belief that music can still make people feel good. Nearly twenty years in, they are still evolving, still learning and still creating music for both the fans who have been there from the beginning and those discovering them now.
They no longer sound like they are searching for who they are.
They've found it.
