Music has been said by many to be in a creative slump. Paul Sprangers, singer and guitarist for Minnesota band Hockey Night, is channeling bands of years past to bring on a classic-rock revival.

“We like a lot of bands people don’t think are cool right now,” Sprangers says.

Sprangers attributes his band’s music to harmonizing bands Boston, Thin Lizzy and even balladeers Journey. He says it tries to be very melodic like the classic-rock brethren before it.

“We’ve all grown up listening to 90s alt-rock, and we love that music too,” Sprangers says.

A lot of current bands emulate that era of music, he says, and he doesn’t want to become too generic or simplistic, and, most importantly, insincere.

“We’d rather be associated with classic-rock bands than indie-rock bands,” he says.

One thing that has helped distinguish its sound was working with producer Bryce Goggin, who has worked on albums for Phish and Pavement, two of the band’s influences.

“He’s got this weird, little, dirty studio in Brooklyn,” Sprangers says. “There are some of the most down-to-earth guys working there, and he’s just about things being real.”

Hockey Night’s two drummers have helped carve a niche for the band.

“It’s pretty organic,” Sprangers says.

He said he finds it is easy to get caught in a boring groove and including that element to the music can add something to a song that wouldn’t be noticed at first.

Sprangers says the band is striving to make itself more of a jam band and have one of its drummers use different percussion instruments.

“We love it when bands like the Stones use bongos,” Sprangers says.

The band members have tried to keep things fresh by playing in unconventional venues and letting the music change with them as they embark on their first major tour.

“We try to play every song differently where we are,” Sprangers says. “I think every show can be spontaneous but melodic and catchy and engages people at a very simple level.”

Another way they try to captivate the band’s audience is through its artwork, he said.

“We are huge fans of bands that use artwork creatively,” Sprangers says.

Perhaps that is why the band’s Web site is adorned with a hodgepodge of oddball graphics, with everything from infantry with bazookas to African tribal masks.

“Artwork is an extension of the music we make, and we try to make something jarring and eye-catching,” Sprangers says.

The thing that is most shocking to Sprangers is how its no longer playing to empty venues.

“It’s been really positive,” he says.

“To see kids actually coming to the shows now is kind of like a miracle to us.”