If you aren’t yet familiar with East Of Reno then we recommend getting familiar! If you love a collective of musicians who are of high calibre, playing songs that are instrumental heaven and within the Americana and Rock genre then this band is probably for you!

When I look back at some of my favourite live bands, I always think of artists such as Zac Brown Band who showcase the talents of all their band members on stage. They always play to such high standards and with exceptional instrumental segments and that make each band member important to fans. This is also how I feel about East of Reno and I haven’t even seen them live yet but you can believe that I am excited to soon! If their debut EP is anything to go by then in a live setting, we will be in for something truly special.

Whilst the band have yet to announce a headline tour, you can catch them at Ramblin’ Roots Revue in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire (they play the Sunday at 13.30), supporting Seasick Steve for his album launch on June 13th at Chalk Venue, Brighton (tickets here) and others shows soon to be announced!

East of Reno have a sound so distinct, that they can almost form their own genre. The EP is a chorus of well crafted material that all stand out singularly. When you listen to it, the songs flow so beautifully that it makes you want to listen to it in its entirety.

East of Reno’s debut EP comes out in May, however you can hear songs such as Brothers, Open Door and My Dad (Had No Middle Name) now. Pre save the EP here and listen to the songs already released.

We caught up with East of Reno’s lead singer Irwin Sparkes, formerly and still in fact the lead singer of The Hoosiers.

After a lovely introduction talking about family and friends and growing up in Reading which didn’t feel relevant to the interview as a whole, I have jumped straight into the questions for purpose of the article.

I hope you enjoy our chat!

So you have just done a few East of Reno gigs already …..

Yeah! We have indeed! We are gearing up for the EP launch! We are playing pretty much in between London and Brighton and focusing there for a bit! We have a support slot with Seasick Steve and playing Ramblin’ Roots Revue, as well as this gig we have at The Waiting Rooms in London which will be our actual EP launch and that’s on the 27th June!

What is the fanbase looking like? Do you get a lot of Hoosiers fans listening to the music or a new fanbase entirely?

You know that’s interesting because you get this slight upside of the whole insidiousness of streaming. You get the artists app for Spotify as well, so there’s Spotify and then there’s Spotify for artists and it gives you the full break down so you can see who’s listening and what we have found on Spotify, what I have really enjoyed is that the demographic is completely different. It’s a much larger American audience which is hugely surprising, Swedish and British too but the demographic is a lot more mature. I think it’s befitting as well and even though our keyboardist is 26, we still feel it’s a genre that we feel doesn’t put that constraint of time on us. You can sort of breathe and it really is all about the music and that’s a joy!

I have been listening to the EP a lot actually! I do love it and I mean that! I wanted to ask how East of Reno came to be, how did this project form? And the name, where did that come from?

Yeah! Really it’s born out of the ashes of a band I was a fan of about ten years ago, over ten years ago. They were called Harry Oakwood and The Millionaires. They played around London and unbeknownst, the only existing member of that outfit is the drummer and there were three of the newer members, of the now East of Reno all not knowing each other really but in the same room, watching this band because we all had different friends in the band and we were watching this band and they had these two songs in particular Brothers and Shining Star and we felt like we were really watching something special. That band disintegrated sadly whilst making their first album and so I knew the guitarist and said “look, if I can help out as a singer…” and basically weaselled my way in and like some horrific Hannibal Lecter, I now wear the faces of the singer.

Really it started out to help out and finish the album and then the whole thing metastasised through a period of many years. Then it was just myself and the drummer. I’ve written a lot more of the songs and got involved in that side of it. It took so many years to find the right keyboardist and bassist to the point now where our bassist lives near Sheffield. A lot of the players and I, we’re sort of journeymen- we have played with a lot of artists. The guitarist we have now has played with Beyoncé, Pharrell, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders and has completed world tours. Our drummer was a pianist who was up for Young Jazz Musician. It’s that level of talent. We all get into the room and it’s alchemy.

For me, I feel like the biggest fan of the group. I am hoping I just don’t get found out haha! I love the fact that I am in my 40’s now with severe imposter syndrome – I don’t really belong. I am the least qualified to be on that stage with them and I kind of love that! I am just holding on to those coat tails. I am singing up front, but I get to look back and go “oh my goodness, what are these guys doing? They’re incredible” how they sort of get hold of a song is so malleable. The communication they have, they’re just the real deal. The way that the music has evolved, even from the EP, when you see it live, it’s a living breathing thing!

We’ve got this long form EP with 8 tracks but we’re already writing towards this next album. We see this EP as an introduction to us and then here we come with an album.

You said Brothers and Shining Star, which are both on the EP, already existed from the former band?

Yes! It’s an interesting one as they are new to us as a band. We inherited these songs written by Andy Harwood and originally from Harry Oakwood. With bands it’s quite an interesting proposition but to put your ego to death as well rather than serve it with a band and go “no these songs are fantastic” and they sort of helped inform what the band is about and even taking some queues from how a lot of the players in the band have had big deals, record deals, publishing deals, it’s all come close, there have been sniffs of success in other bands and outfits and I don’t just mean myself. It’s really fascinating then to create a world of music and the stories we’re telling. With a band you get to build a whole world and for us it’s these stories with characters that came close and are on their last chance. I kind of like the idea of the penniless millionaire and one of the writers James Hayto, who is no longer in the band, we were really drawn to John Steinbeck and so East of Reno had that idea of …..they say Vegas to get married, Reno to get divorced. There’s that element of down on your luck that we wanted to celebrate that and East of Reno, we are geographically very East of Reno. Plus there’s East of Eden, one of Steinbeck’s novels and one of James Dean’s three films that he made and it’s just a fantastic story about the other side of the American Dream!

Who is in the band?

Chopper on drums, Pat Murdoch on lead guitar, Chris Vince on keyboards and he also takes some singing duties and then there’s Jason Rungapadiachy on Bass guitar and he also sings. Everybody sings in this band. Potentially for harmonies with a Crosby, Stills and Nash and Young element to it. It’s not a band that we think of any one person fronting the band. We love that whole idea of the band, you have that focal point but it can be shared as well.

Yes, well what I like about Zac Brown Band for example is the fact that every band member is clearly important and individually showcased on stage. They have ten members now I think? As just added a female in Caroline Jones.

We at one point were a seven piece as we had some female backing singers and percussionists. We would love to do that again but it’s partly down to restrictions of some of the venues that we are playing and hard to fit everyone on the stage. We are playing small stages but we would like to take it to that level. That would be the dream to play somewhere that can handle the sound as we have a lot going on.

Well I would love to see you guys play at The Long Road Festival and Black Deer Festival. They really are great festivals for your kind of music and you would fit right in!

They are definitely on my dream list!

We have spoken about some of the songs. Some of my favourites so far are Night of Nothing, Shining Star and Brothers and Anyone Other Than You! Two of which we mentioned existed before East of Reno formed.

Yeah so I guess they helped form the starting point for the world that we wanted to write about. We kind of built a picture of these characters and it was interesting putting a lot of ourselves on there, to what we were writing but it was interesting to write with a view but not necessarily own it. So point place our current single Open Door, which is making the most heinous requests of a partner to just basically put up and wait up for you and hedge your bets even though it sounds like rather than a break up song, it’s this voice of entitlement being like “look there are some things I need to do, I need to travel the world and I need to go and sample all these things without you but hopefully you can leave an open door at the end of it”. It’s that idea of hedging your bets and coming from a very selfish point of view. It’s playful as well, there’s an element of humour to it and I think that is something that is quite enjoyable and we want to make music that makes people move as well so there are points of definite poignancy such as the song’s ‘Shining Star’ and ‘Night of Nothing’ which really dwells on the sense of regret and what could have been and the human tendency to dash in one moment of madness everything you spent a life time building towards. That’s something I think everyone can relate to, just making some bad life decisions. Often under the influence and still having the proclivity to go there again.

There’s another song that’s not on the EP that I am very excited about. I am always wanting to tantalisingly tease you and the readers, there’s a song called Louise. It’s about a destructive relationship and its genesis was in a relationship with alcohol but actually it’s very easy to replace that with anyone and anything because it’s not specific and given a human name. It’s one of the funnest songs to play live, just rhythmically it’s something more cajun, there’s something a bit more Dr John about it and I think it’s one of the first songs that we noticed playing to a room full of strangers and it got them up dancing. For us there is no bigger thrill. I have been fortunate enough to play for some big rooms and big people and still that smaller room of playing to a smaller audience and electing a response from something you have written, it really kind of galvanised the band and helped us realise, a bit of momentum where you feel like it has to start with the band playing it. That realisation and belief of “we’ve got something” that doesn’t come along often and I have been part of other bands since Hoosiers and before and things don’t click, things don’t necessarily work but there is definitely something here (in East of Reno) and it is why I have no problem getting on my soap box and asking people to come and see us because I am like “you need to hear these guys”.

Back to the music, ‘Anyone Other Than You’ again is a song that is the most triumphant jubilation about separating yourself from a toxic relationship – about actually recognising that you are in need of redrawing the boundary lines with this person and doing so in a place that is totally empowering and still upbeat. It’s not about crying on your cereal over it, it’s actually “no, I’m done, I’m good and I feel great about that”. It sort of happened naturally but there is a sort of country-pop element to it! We have a musical outro that is able to hit those two chords and is able to pivot between the two. It builds a sort of tension and someone mentioned it was a bit ‘war on drugs’ as well and has that driving groove, it’s a lot of fun as well.

I keep changing my mind what is my favourite which is a compliment as it doesn’t happen often and is a mark of a good album and in this case a good EP. Nothing is skippable and there’s a bit of everything and for every mood!

The artwork is really interesting and eye catching too so please tell us a bit about out the designs behind the art work.

Oh yeah, I am glad you have noticed, that is really nice! That was an ongoing relationship that we were fortunate to have with Sam Barker who is a monumental photographer. He was a friend of one of the founding members and we have been able to continue the relationship and he has been so generous to allow us to use his artwork. He is so worth checking out – his portrait pieces are incredible! He has shot everyone from David Attenborough to various political types. He is one of my favourite photographers and an absolute dude! The fact he has been able to allow a band starting out to use, to have access to photographs that have just captured that spirit and that underlines the songs. Especially if you have noticed that the ones that look very Americana, they are actually shot in a holiday camp in the UK. What I love about them is that it’s something that feels like a good marriage where we sort of have no interest in perfectly recreating this Americana that Americans are very good at doing. We don’t want to just cosplay. The song ‘My Dad (Had no middle name)’is actually about finding this sense of British identity and especially post brexit looking at what that looked like. There’s a nod in the action of another band that has done that successfully taking those influences like The Rolling Stones but I think for us it’s being able to stake a claim to it and with a sense of Britishness as well. Even if that’s lyrically or not.

Who produced the EP?

It’s been largely self produced by all band members. In terms of mixes it’s also been largely a member of Harry Oakwood called James Hayto and also Ruadhri Cushnan who has mixed Mumford and Sons and Ed Sheeran and all sorts of people. We worked with him with The Hoosiers and he mixed four, he did Brothers, Shining Star, Rearview Mirror and Anyone Other Than You!

The track listing that I have listened to on Soundcloud, is that the actual order of the EP when released.

I think it will be yes!

How did you decide the book ends of the EP?

Rearview Mirror (that closes the EP) it was sort of the idea of looking back and seeing the rest of the EP and each of these songs represent opportunities. Lyrically it’s “all my last chances they wave in the distance of my rear view mirror” and each of these songs a beautiful chance sliding by. There was a part of a reticence to end with Shining Star which is such a good set closer.

I wasn’t going to say but I also hear that song as a closer.

I hear that!

They both work though! I mean the whole Rearview thing makes sense now so…

It’s been a bone of contention and it will be funny if now I’m like “hmm that plants a seed and do I bring it up with the drummer again?” It’s interesting that you’ve said that. I quite enjoy that, there’s some value in showing people for the first time and seeing how they kind of hear it. Even with demos I like showing my wife and hearing what needs to change.

Brothers as well is kind of an obvious opener.

Oh it is definitely.

There’s something that makes you want to drink with this song, it’s that drunken night, that togetherness, that Bon amie as well. Lyrically as well, you get a late 19th/20th century history lesson thrown in for good measure.

You said you play demos to your wife, what is her favourite song off of the EP?

I think she would probably say Brothers. It’s very instant. It has depth on the set too to not only do just one thing. Playing live you really notice the need for some up beat songs and to be able to do that and write like that it gets your point across more quickly and palitably

You’re coming to Nibley Festival as The Hoosiers where you will be headlining which we can’t wait for! So it’s actually Nibley’s last ever year and I think, if I have worked it out correctly, you will be the last ever act to play the main stage (as I think they have after party disco type things)

Oh wow! We wont take it personally haha!

Yeah it’s so sad! Not your fault haha. Just the sad truth for many festivals unfortunately.

It is so tough, I think in this age where you have got streaming blowing up and there are more bands than ever, more music than ever but it’s hard to create these experiences and I know it will come back round. Festivals and live music may go through a tough time but there’s nothing that AI can do about that, that’s the one part of the industry where I feel AI can’t be. People crave these experiences, it’s in built into us, that need to be together and share this noisy experience called a live gig! Hopefully with Nibley we will have a blow out and change their minds.

I hope so! We will also see The Hoosiers at Wychwood Festival in Cheltenham so that’s two Gloucestershire festivals, we are very lucky!

Definitely bring East of Reno to Stroud area, we have many great venues here!

We would love to!

Talking to Irwin Sparkes was like catching up with an old school friend and discovering what we have been up to for the last 20 odd years. Both growing up in Reading and my cousin having attended the same school and class as Irwin, there was a lot to talk about but what was a nice change was the interest he had in my life, in my work and whilst I haven’t included that in the written interview, it was nice to have him be interested in that. In fact, throughout the interview, it was his love for his band and other peoples work that really stood out! Humble and witty and just the kind of guy you can sit down and have a good old fashioned laugh with, Irwin Sparkes really was a joy to talk with. I for one, very much look forward to East of Reno’s future and plan to follow their career closely!