October 23rd, 2005
New York City, Sunday Daily News
Somewhere in the middle of Georgia, a van carrying two-thirds of the group Hanson rumbles along a highway toward the campus of Georgia Tech. On board are Zac (drums) and Isaac (guitar). In a couple of hours, they’ll hook up with their brother Taylor (keyboards, lead vocals), who has momentarily left the road to spend some time with his wife, Natalie, and their two kids in Atlanta.
But this gig isn’t just about singing. Besides packing them in at the Southern University’s performance space, the Hansons will be appearing in a more unusual venue – a classroom. Call it Hanson 101. "We’re giving a lecture,” says Zac, who turned 20 yesterday.
"We talk to students about the music industry and how hard it is to get your music played today on radio, and what it takes to launch your own label." Zac speaks about the engagement in purely practical terms. It’s important to talk to college students, he says, because they form the grass roots of their fan base. This is a far cry from the day in 1997 when a trio of adorable teenagers broke out of Oklahoma with an album called "Middle of Nowhere" and the saccharine single "MMMBop." They scored again with "Snowed In" later that year and “Three Car Garage” in 1998, but after 2000’s "This Time Around" they seemed to have dropped off the planet.
A few years ago, Hanson decided to go it alone. Their decision was validated when 2004’s "Underneath" made the Billboard Independent Albums chart, becoming their first indie hit.
"Being independents, it’s important to get out there and let our fans know what we’ve done, what we are doing and how to get the CDs they’re cutting," says Zac.
"This is about trying to be successful outside of the traditional corporate structure." Hanson is making their priority college radio stations and campuses, with student bodies who grew up listening to them.
"We may have been around a long time but we are still a very young band,” says Zac. "If we weren’t successful musicians we’d probably be college students ourselves. Our choice to become independent was about the relationship between us and our fans," continues Zac. "We’re passionate about the future of independent music."As passionate as they are about stumping in academia, it’s still singing that the Hansons live for. They’re touring for their latest release, "The Best of Hanson Live and Electric," the third CD on their 3CG label (Three Car Garage).
The tour hits Showboat’s House of Blues in Atlantic City on Saturday. Fans may be surprised by how much Hanson has evolved. Sure, they still sing their hearts out to "MMMBop," but "Live and Electric," which was recorded in Australia, is a more mature edition, with songs like "Penny and Me," "Hand in Hand” and two covers: U2’s "In a Little While" and Radiohead’s "Optimistic."
The mix of music is a combination of all of their interests, says Zac. Isaac (Ike) is 25 and single. Taylor (Tay) is 22 and has a family of his own. Zac will wed next year. "There are elements of each of us in everything we do. We discuss. We write. And occasionally we fight. We’re brothers."
Zac is tight-lipped, though, when it comes to the question of who is the feistiest brother. "I’m not getting into that," he says with a laugh.
Pressed further, Zac admits that on a basketball court, "Taylor would be the one driving to basket, injuring people and not scoring goals. Isaac would be the finesse player. And me? I’d be somewhere in the middle.
"Any way you look at it, we’re a damn good team."
October 23rd, 2005
Education of Hanson