For happy-go-lucky trio The Hoosiers 2008 has been about consolidating the success of their debut album and recruiting more like-minded souls. Advice for the tour that has them at Sheffield's Carling Academy on Sunday was to don fancy dress. A summer of festivals has provided an interesting hunting ground, not least The Secret Garden Party in Cambridge.

"We're feeling decrepit now," admits singer Irwin Sparkes, totting up their activities. "But we felt like we really belonged there. Everyone looked out for eachother. There was no room for being cool or aloof."

Of course, there are many festivals where bands can rise or fall by the whim of the crowd. For example, at Leeds Last Shadow Puppets fans booed when attention switched from Alex Turner to Miles Kane.

"That's kind of what's exciting about it, though," says Irwin. "When you're playing your own gigs all the time you are preaching to the converted."

And while the converted will populate most of the tour, Irwin and pals are likely to give familiar ears something less familiar after spending a week in a hut in Sweden, homeland of bass player Martin Skarendahl.

"There were woods behind and a river in front and not much luxury; we were digging ticks out of ourselves when we came back," recalls Irwin. "It was useful, though, because things get hectic and there are a lot of distractions. You can write the best songs in your bedroom or living room so it was not really for that, just an imposed break.

"Something we did and have learned from the first album is after doing the singles we wanted an album that was a bit more diverse and because half was sprightly and upbeat the rest was more melancholic and downbeat. Some people judged us and had written us off after Worried About Ray - people either loved or hated us - so you've got to prove more than the sum of a couple of singles."

And he admits there's a huge weight of expectation after such ELO-flavoured defining hits like Ray and Goodbye Mr A.

"We will probably just release a s*** second album with less quality songs," Irwin quips, ironically. "Not really. We can play a bit better now and want to be very good so we want more of a live sound, to be a band with balls that makes pop music.

"There's that line 'you have your whole life to write your first album and just three months for the second'. I just think it proves whether you deserve to be here. But it helps that three of us share songwriting duties - the album is going to be strong."

And it will not lose any of the band's prominent sense of humour, by the sound of it.

"How about if I came back with a beard? We are thinking of swapping it around or drawing lots on which one of us will get the big 'tache.

"Nah, people would see through it - people would not see we are genuine.

Being flippant with every day promotion and trying to make each other laugh is fine but we've always been very serious about the music; we want to put on a big show and for people to see a celebration. We already get criticised and feel like having to apologise for not being austere."

Which brings us to those publicity shots with stuffed animals.

"We didn't kill them ourselves," he confirms. "We don't want to lose the green vote. Actually, the whole campaign for the album was quite reactionary. Me and the drummer were trying for this for 10 years and got fed up with seeing bands without imagination conforming to type, living a cliche. Everyone can hide behind sunglasses indoors.

"The whole advert thing we did (where they personally asked people to buy their record) even now seems a bold move. We were putting our heads on the block. But you've got one shot so we wanted to grasp it with both hands. Of course, not everyone is going to like you on the back of it.

"We also threw everything at the music; falsetto, production and big catchy songs. Bands like the Flaming Lips are inspirational because they look so glad and happy to be alive and blessed to be doing what they're doing. It's good to do that ... life could be a lot worse."

After all, there were times when Irwin and pals nearly packed it in. "Our's is a testament to tenacity rather than ability. Just before we got signed we would always think it was around the corner but we'd not be near."

And before The Hoosiers went full time Irwin was doing medical research while drummer Alphonso Sharland was dodging threats at a school for excluded kids.

"They were threatening to slash his throat and stuff. It was dark doing that and four times a week crossing London to make music."



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