Sonic Net Article - May 2000
Hanson, a surprise 11th-hour
addition to the lineup, fared much better than show openers Bosson and Eiffel 65
despite the majority of the hugely catchy and well-written songs off their
current album, This Time Around, being too mature for the trio's "MMMBop"
fan base and not quite cool enough to attract an older crowd. That leaves
Hanson, ahem, in the middle of nowhere, and it obviously showed in the crowd's
lackadaisical enthusiasm for the band.
"You guys are the laziest
bunch of people I have ever seen," yelped drummer Zack Hanson at one point.
"Get off your butts!" It wasn't to be, however, as Hanson ripped
through selections from This Time Around and Middle of Nowhere, visibly
frustrated at the crowd's nonchalant adulation. Highlights included Taylor
Hanson's Blues Traveler-esque harmonica solo on new single "If Only"
and near-metal rocker "In the City." Still, one could only be left
wondering if Hanson will be going through an awkward puberty-like stage before
winning back a new legions of fans a few years down the road.
TWEC.com Chat - May 9, 2000
MODERATOR> Twec.com
would like to welcome Hanson to the chat, do you want to say anything to your
SPEAKER_Hanson> Thanks for coming out to the chat and listening to us
in Real Audio
SPEAKER_Hanson> We were just recently in Argentina. The last couple of
days we were in NY. The album released today.
SPEAKER_Hanson> It's very exciting to finally have this record come
out and the fans response. Thanks to the internet, our fans have responded well.
SPEAKER_Hanson> We were able to put clips up on the internet for fans
to listen to.
SPEAKER_Hanson> We've gotten good response from the fans. This Time
Around is the title track and we're going to release a second track called If
Only sometime soon.
katey> What songs mean the most to you on this new album?
SPEAKER_Hanson> There have been a lot of responses to all kinds of
songs on our album. Save Me has gotten a lot of response.
SPEAKER_Hanson> It's really interesting to see what everyone's
favorite songs are.
SPEAKER_Hanson> When you write all of the material, all of the songs
have a different meaning to them. One of the songs that stands out to me, in a
purely intriguing level, is A Song To Sing which is a bonus track on the record.
SPEAKER_Hanson> It tells the essence of who we are. It strips away all
of the band and production elements and strips it down to purely the song and
the vocal performance.
lauren1257> What's the difference between how people reacted when
mmmbop came out to when This Time Around came out?
SPEAKER_Hanson> Only people buying the CD will hear the song. And lots
of people have been buying the CD.
SPEAKER_Hanson> Taylor: the cool thing is that now there's a fan base.
We've been all around the world and now there's people waiting to buy the record
whereas before people didn't know who we are. People are excited for the release
and that's a big difference this time.
rockstar> Your lyrics are really deep. Where did you come up with the
ideas?
SPEAKER_Hanson> Isaac: There are fans out there who have been into the
band for the last 3 years and it's really cool to hear people say that they've
been into us for the last 3 years.
SPEAKER_Hanson> Zac: experience in living life. Just looking out of a
window in your hotel. being at home... there's so many things that can inspire
you.
Ladyhawke15> WHAT MADE YOU GUYS DECIDE ON CALLING THE ALBUM THIS TIME
AROUND
SPEAKER_Hanson> Generally by the end of the song everyone has put in
their two cents. There's tons of revisons while you're recording a song or
hashing it out. In the end, everyone has a say in the song.
SPEAKER_Hanson> The name is from the first single. We felt like that
song represented a lot of where we were going musically. It was different than
what we had done before. Represented where we where going. It also comes down to
liking the way something sounds and flows.
SPEAKER_Hanson> Isaac: The title was kind of one of those things that
we all thought about but then dimissed. It was too obvious.
sweetstock_bound> What's the next single after "If Only?" Is
it "Save Me?"
SPEAKER_Hanson> Taylor: in the end, we decided that's where the group
was going.
SPEAKER_Hanson>We're excited about seeing more of everyone.
diehardHANFAN>Are you planning to put any non-album cuts (Bridges of
Stone, nudge nudge) as B sides on future singles from the album?
SPEAKER_Hanson>That has been a conversation. Internationally, a couple
of songs were put on the albums for different reasons. It's always great to have
extra songs. We'll definitely keep all of the fans updated.
itz_tia>Any plans on releasing Can't Stop as a single? I love that
song so much, and I think it'd be a great single - Tia
SPEAKER_Hanson>We can't say at this point. It's so up in the air. you
have to judge it by how people respond to the existing single. right now we're
focused on having the record out.
SPEAKER_Hanson>That has been a conversation. Internationally, a couple
of songs were put on the albums for different reasons. It's always great to have
extra songs. We'll definitely keep all of the fans updated.
marry me Zac> how do you guys decide who has what solo? do you ever
fight over solos?
SPEAKER_Hanson> Zac: it usually comes out naturally. It isn't
something you think about. It isn't like 1, 2, 3, arm wrestle.
terryfio> How long does one song take to finish recording?
SPEAKER_Hanson> Before you know it, you just go with whatever feels
right. Sometimes you go with whatever key it was written in. What it really
comes down to is whoever wins the rock, paper, scissors. haha
SPEAKER_Hanson> It's definitely longer than an all day process. You
don't really work on one song for however long. On this record, we started with
keyboard and then vocal. Then we'd go on to another song. It's all about
layering and adding on.
SPEAKER_Hanson> Often times, you start with the basic tracks like
drums and tracks. Then you build from there.
SPEAKER_Hanson> I wouldn't say any of our songs are perfect. That's
just the process we use.
SPEAKER_Hanson>For instance, the song In The City, that guitar track
is the only guitar track on the song. It was the first we laid down and then we
realized it was good enough and we said, "why would we redo that?"
MMMBOp> Will you guys sing "old" songs on this tour?
SPEAKER_Hanson> we're doing a US and a world wide tour. Tour dates
will be announced soon. Our current plan is to start in July and then we will be
all over the US and then to Kentucky.
SPEAKER_Hanson> I think it'll be a mixture of songs from both albums.
Maybe some new songs that can't be found anywhere, covers, and just a wide
variety. We do a good amount of covers that are just classic rock and roll
tunes.
SwedishHansonFanClub> What do ya guys play when you´re jammin
"private" besides your own music??
SPEAKER_Hanson> We did the Spencer Davis "Give Me Some Lovin'"
song and "Money, That's What I Want." We throw in several covers
because it's fun for us and we like to introduce them to people who may not know
them.
SPEAKER_Hanson> Hopefully, a bunch of you guys out there have seen us
play live. We toured in the summer of 98 and played for a lot of people.
SPEAKER_Hanson> Well, a lot of times it's songs we always used to jam
on and have reemerged. The idea of jamming is that it doesn't really matter.
mutedserenity> do any of your songs have a "special,
personal" meaning?
SPEAKER_Hanson> Speaking of jams, the first song on the new album, You
Never Know was originally conceived during a sound check while on tour. Taylor
was goofing around on the piano and came up with the initial piano melody for
the song and we said, "Dude, that's really cool." And before you know
it, it's the opening track for the new album.
chicken1218>when is it possible to find out the tour schedule?
wheresblu>How do you guys feel about touring this year, more excited
since its the second time, or less excited since its not really a new
experience?
SPEAKER_Hanson>We're about to put that up,...a few things changed last
minute. We'll be doing radio shows all over the country as well.
luna>Do you have a name for the 2000 tour?
SPEAKER_Hanson>It's a lot of fun and an awesome experience. We're very
excited about it. Now that we have this second record, there's just more
material that people will know. Gives you more options to mix things up.
SPEAKER_Hanson>I will give a shout out to all of my friends out there.
They're an incredible bunch of people and we couldn't ask for better fans.
SPEAKER_Hanson>We haven't translated it into english yet. So when it
is translated, we'll have it on our webstie.
SPEAKER_Hanson>It's sort of like naming an album. you need something
that flows. We don't have anything yet. Something that catches you and ties into
the record.
CaraMariee>Are any of these songs written on the album a reference to
trials or experiences that have happened to you?
Bethany14> Hey guys do you have any pets?
SPEAKER_Hanson>We do plan on branching into acting, we're doing some
design.
SPEAKER_Hanson>Wouldn't it be nice if we had pets.
TaysbabyIke> why and when did you cut your hair?
SPEAKER_Hanson>We just have each other. Zac takes us out and walks us
every day! just kidding!
SPEAKER_Hanson>I don't remember exactly when. I think it was the
middle of the record.
Rachel says Moderator: can you give me ink to hear this in RA
SPEAKER_Hanson>I had been thinking of cutting it for a long time and
the minute I chopped it off I said "yeah! that looks good!"
TerryfioTaylor> when did you learn how to play harmonica?
SPEAKER_Hanson>Officially I haven't learned to play. I just sort of
wing it.
AshTayHow> do you guys feel when you are compared to groups like NSYNC
SPEAKER_Hanson>The musical style is the most important thing.
SPEAKER_Hanson>If you listen to our music and think we fit there, then
fine, put us there.
SPEAKER_Hanson>We do have a very similar fan base.
taylor has my heart> I LUV U TAYLOR. How important is it to you to
make music videos to express your songs?
SPEAKER_Hanson>We always try to make sure the video portrays the song.
taysbabyWhy> are 2 different singles being released in different
places?
SPEAKER_Hanson>The video is definitely important to represent a lot of
things.
SPEAKER_Hanson>The video for "Weird" is a good example.
SPEAKER_Hanson>Yes it is. We released "If Only" around the
world and "This Time Around" in the US and Canada.
Princess> Are any of your younger siblings gonna join the band?
Princesa....
SPEAKER_Hanson>We felt each song would be better received in their
respected areas.
SPEAKER_Hanson>I don't think there is any place for them in the band
at this point. Hanson will stay as it is now.
Nevebaby> How long will you be at Coconuts tomorrow
MODERATOR> Twec.com would like to thank Hanson for joining us
tonight, is there anything you'd like to say to your fans online before you go?
SPEAKER_Hanson> We're going to be there for several hours signing
autographs and we'll try to sign as many autographs as possible. We're also
hosting TRL tomorrow afternoon.
SPEAKER_Hanson> Thanks for listening to the interview tonight. We hope
you enjoy the new album and hope to see you tomorrow at Coconuts in NYC. We'll
see you soon around the world.
Hanson 3D Chat, May 6, 2000
GUEST-MODERATOR> The
chat is now starting!
GUEST-MODERATOR> 1st question: How do you guys like being in Hanson
World as avatars for the first time?
GUEST-TAYLOR> It's extremely cool! We go on to worlds all the time-
thanks for coming to the first official chat!!!
GUEST-MODERATOR> 2nd question: What is the release date of the new
album?
GUEST-isaac> The release date of This Time Around is May 9
GUEST-TAYLOR> We'll be signing copies of the new album at Coconuts in
NY on May 10 after TRL. Come see us!
GUEST-isaac> Hi All!
GUEST-MODERATOR> 3rd question: Zac, of all the songs you've written,
which means the most to you?
GUEST-Zac> I don't think one song means the most, i think every song
means something slightly different to you
GUEST-MODERATOR> 4th Question: Taylor, who is your favorite actor or
actress?
GUEST-Zac> wake up berfurd
GUEST-TAYLOR> I really don't have a favorite. But, Sean Connery is the
ultimate stud. I admire him.
GUEST-MODERATOR> 5th Question: Lets see the Hanson avatars do flips
over the crowd!!!
GUEST-Zac> we go into worlds!!
GUEST-MODERATOR> What do you guys do in your spare time?
GUEST-TAYLOR> Worlds!
GUEST-isaac> WE go onto Worlds and chat
GUEST-isaac> Soon I hope---there's lots of great food and lots of
beautiful girls in Italy
GUEST-MODERATOR> Isaac: When are you going to be in Italy?
GUEST-MODERATOR> You guys have spent a lot of time on this album, is
it more or less a diary album?
GUEST-TAYLOR> All of the albums are our thoughts and emotions. So, I
guess you can say it's our diary- but that sounds strange.
GUEST-TAYLOR> Our musical diary
GUEST-MODERATOR> What inspired you to write 'Dying to be alive?'
GUEST-isaac> What inspires any son? LIFE. The ups and downs--the
emotions that you feel from day tio day.
GUEST-Zac> yes definately lyrics
GUEST-MODERATOR> Are there going to be lyrics on the Cd jacket?
GUEST-isaac> Yes there are definitely going to be lyrics
GUEST-Zac> i hope you're enjoying yourself berfurd
GUEST-MODERATOR> What do your grandparents think of all this madness?
GUEST-Zac> the one that's left, loves it
GUEST-Zac> our grandma loves to rock
GUEST-Zac> =)
GUEST-Zac> i'm sorry taylor's computer just crashed
GUEST-Zac> just kidding
GUEST-MODERATOR> Taylor is back! His laptop had a slight
malfunction...
GUEST-isaac> This is like a real concert... OK!!!
GUEST-MODERATOR> Are MOE members going to get special priviledges this
summer on tour?
GUEST-Zac> there will be tickets set a side for moe members and
hanson.net members
GUEST-MODERATOR> Which music artist influenced you all the most?
GUEST-isaac> Here comes some crowdsurfing
GUEST-Zac> all the music you listen to influence you in some way just
because you like listening to it
GUEST-MODERATOR> Where do you all buy your clothes?
GUEST-isaac> All around the world--at thrift stores
GUEST-Zac> they were stunt men
GUEST-MODERATOR> Were you riding the dirt bikes in the 'If only'
video, or were they stunt people?
GUEST-Zac> we rode a lot during the shooting of the video but the
people you see are stunt men
GUEST-MODERATOR> Would you recommend becoming famous to everyone else?
GUEST-TAYLOR> Just go to getfamous.com- hehehehehe
GUEST-MODERATOR> What excites you all the most about the release of
'This Time Around'?
GUEST-MODERATOR> What was your favorite video to make?
"GUEST-Zac> i think just getting the music out for all the fans
to hear and tell us what they think
GUEST-MODERATOR> When you guys go online, what web sites do you visit?
GUEST-isaac> I like ebay and Worlds. I like ebay because I am a very
big Lego connosouer since I was three.
GUEST-Zac> the secret room that no one else knows about
GUEST-isaac> The space platform
GUEST-TAYLOR> I like the MOE room
GUEST-MODERATOR> What foods do you all prefer on the road?
GUEST-Zac> anything made by Dr. Food
GUEST-TAYLOR> Nothing still breathing.
GUEST-MODERATOR> Everyone needs to be in the audience to participate
in the chat, please!
GUEST-MODERATOR> Do you prefer webcast or TV events?
GUEST-Zac> web cast you get to sit around in your pajamas and no one
can see you
GUEST-Zac> and you get feedback immediately
GUEST-MODERATOR> What was your favorite venue to play?
GUEST-TAYLOR> Redrocks
GUEST-isaac> Red Rocks!!!
GUEST-MODERATOR> Zac: Who is Shamoo?
GUEST-Zac> you don't know who shamu is?? haven't you ever been to sea
world?
GUEST-MODERATOR> Was Zac chatting in Hanson House today?
GUEST-Zac> no
GUEST-isaac> The only place we eveer do unannounced chats is on
Hanson.net, Hansonline.com message board or Worlds.com
GUEST-MODERATOR> What do guys think about the whole MP3 issue?
GUEST-Zac> mp3's can be good as long as you buy the albun also\11
GUEST-Zac> also!
GUEST-MODERATOR> When do you guys start touring in the USA?
GUEST-isaac> Tour dates will be on the web site very soon, check it
out soon--in July
GUEST-MODERATOR> What was the most memorable thing that a fan has ever
done for you guys?
GUEST-isaac> Tour starts in July
GUEST-isaac> This Rocks
GUEST-TAYLOR> We get a ton of really cool gifts and letters. There
couldn't possibly be just one thing. Probably one of the coolest things is to
know that you helped someone.
GUEST-isaac> Watch us!!!!
GUEST-MODERATOR> LETS EVERYONE TRY TO DO THE MACARENA!!!
GUEST-TAYLOR> This is the only place you'll see us dance...Anyone know
how to do the macarena????
GUEST-isaac> This is why we don't dance
GUEST-TAYLOR> hehehe
GUEST-MODERATOR> Are you guys ever going to come to Delaware? Cause
that's where I'm from and we really want you to come and see all the bueatiful
corn fields!!!
GUEST-TAYLOR> Check the tour schedule. It is possible.
GUEST-MODERATOR> Do you have any hints for aspiring musicians?
GUEST-isaac> Practice makes perfect--and I'm not there yet. Play
wherever you can and you gotta love it--you gotta love the music.
GUEST-TAYLOR> EVERYONE...we are going to do a listening party across
the country tomorrow night. We will be putting it up on our website so you'll
get a sneak peak before tuesday. Hope you tune in. it will be
GUEST-TAYLOR> really cool. We'll be hosting it from Z100 in NYC.
GUEST-MODERATOR> If you guys could sit down with any 3 people alive or
deceased, who would it be and why?
GUEST-TAYLOR> Chris Farley, John Candy, and John Belushi.
GUEST-isaac> Don't forget John Lennon.
GUEST-Zac> chris farley because he's my idol
GUEST-MODERATOR> You 3 are such wonderful influences. Zac, I heard a
rumor that your were going to cut your hair -- is this true?
GUEST-Zac> it's possible but for the moment, my hair is as long as
ever!
GUEST-isaac> Zac's gotta have long hair because he's the drummer--headbanging
and all
GUEST-MODERATOR> Do u guys ever visit Hanson sites made by fans and
sign their guestbooks or e-mail them?
GUEST-Zac> yes in moe we pick up a website in every issue
GUEST-TAYLOR> We go to fan websites all the time. You guys are
extremely creative!
GUEST-MODERATOR> When are you guys going to get your buts 'down
under?'
GUEST-TAYLOR> Our butts were just down under and our butts will be
back later on this year on tour.
GUEST-MODERATOR> Would you guys please come to my birthday party?
GUEST-Zac> even when we were performing locally, we would not do
birthday parites but in this case, if you have it on worlds, we'll see if we can
come
GUEST-isaac> Happy Birthday!!!--- This Is your b-day party
GUEST-MODERATOR> Will you guys do another chat in here?
GUEST-Zac> of course that's why we did this place
GUEST-Zac> i can do this with only lifting a finger
GUEST-TAYLOR> t
GUEST-TAYLOR> t'
GUEST-MODERATOR> Right now Hanson is going to mingle with the crowd.
Stay online and watch them work!
GUEST-Zac> i hope you had a nice nap and enjoyed the chat
GUEST-Zac> angel, growing four extra arms must have hurt
GUEST-Zac> cynical, you look pretty pale, i hope you get better soon
GUEST-Zac> zac4shorty, how long do you hibernate usually?
Teen Magazine, June 2000 -
Hanson Is Hot
The Original
Boy Band- Hanson
Before Backstreet Boys , NSYNC or 98 Degrees, Hanson were selling millions of
CDs from their smash hit "MMMbop." Now the blond trio is back with
their new CD This Time Around, to see if they can repeat their phenomenal debut
success. The famous, funny brothers-- who are notably one of the few boy bands
to actually play instruments-- are a little older, a lot taller, and can you
believe that Taylor is even cuter? Teen spent an afternoon with the Hanson boys
and talked about their music, dating girls and how lunatic fans steal
basketballs for their front yard.
What's up with the new album?
Taylor: The songs are about life.
Isaac: Everything from, you know, broken relationships to fighting for
what you believe in.
Taylor: It's about feelings. About being happy and being
depressed. But it's also about just rocking out.
Do you need sadness and angst, or do you need joy and happiness to write a
hit album?
Taylor: You need both.
Zac: When you're listening to the songs and thinking about what they
actually say, it's not what they necessarily should like that's the important
thing.
Taylor: There's a song called "Wish That I Was There," which is
basically talking about how every time you're gone, I wish that was with you. So
that's really a happy song. But a lot of times a song we write feels upbeat or
it rocks, even if the lyrics are down.
Do you write the lyrics first or the tune first?
Taylor: It depends on the song.
Zac: I would usually say music first, just because...
Taylor: Music drives the lyrics.
Do you guys bring different talents to the songwriting table?
Zac: He brought the radio and he brought the batteries.
Funny, Zac. Just answer the question before you get smacked
Taylor:
That's a good one, actually. What we bring to the table is the fact that
everyone of us is different. What makes it work is each of us has our own deal.
I can't tell you what it is, though. The fact that we are constantly switching
roles makes that impossible to answer. One guy's being goofy one day, and one
guy's being the guy who gets work done the next.
Zac: My official title is "Father."
Taylor: Yes, we call him Father. If we're put with friends or whatever,
Zac's like "OK, we've got to be home in 20 minutes."
Why is Zac so responsible?
Taylor: He has some kind of psychotic weird thing where he wants to be
goofy when he's not supposed to be and he wants to be strict when he's supposed
to have fun.
What's different now, other than the fact that Zac is a foot taller?
Isaac: We've matured a little bit musically. We've gotten better at our
craft. Better at songwriting.
Taylor: I think that tour helped to strengthen our playing and our
musicianship and everything.
Would you call yourselves rock stars?
Isaac: I don't feel like a rock star.
Don't you ever think to yourselves, "hey, I could have this or I could
have that if I wanted," like riding around in a limo or getting tickets to
see a show?
Isaac: I don't like limos, personally. They're way too self-indulgent.
No special celebrity privileges at all?
Isaac: We met George Lucas [Star Wars' director]. His daughter
introduced us. She goes, "Dad this is Hanson," and he goes, "I
know who they are," and we just sat there.
Zac: It's cool when you walk up and you're like, "Hi, what do you
mean you already know I'm Zac from Hanson?"
Does the fame thing ever bug you?
Isaac: There are some fans who are really weird, but then there are other
fans who are cool.
Describe what makes for a weird fan versus a cool fan.
Taylor: We have amazing fans. Our fans are really great, but...
Isaac: ...there are some scary ones. Sometimes we can't go in our
backyard.
Taylor: What would you do if you looked in your backyard and there's your
old treehouse and there's somebody just swinging on your treehouse.
You could put up a fence.
Isaac: That would look dumb.
So, you'd rather just keep
it open and the fanatics are going to just keep hanging in your treehouse
waiting for you to come be their best friend?
Zac: They're not always in our backyard.
Taylor: We have this security. It's actually funny because we have these
little things in the trees that have an alarm and if you walk by they say,
"Don't enter the yard."
But you still find people in your yard anyway?
Isaac: We've had whole tour buses in front of our house. we've had 30
people on our front lawn- one of them with a guitar singing songs.
Zac: They steal our basketball. Some lady comes back and she's like,
"My daughter stole this, I'm sorry."
Was she returning the basketball?
Isaac: No, she was proud of the fact that her daughter took our
basketball. And I was like, "And you're telling me this because why?"
She still has it. That girl still has it in her room. Actually the mothers of
the girls who are fans are the worst.
Zac: Sometimes the dads are really bad because they just insist. You
know, they're like, "I'm 'The Dad', and this is my daughter and she likes
you guys."
That's definitely over the top. But some guys would love to have all those
girls after them.
Taylor: Can we not talk about girls?
You guys must date once in a while. Isaac?
Isaac: Not very often, actually.
Zac: if it's not recreational time, we don't spend it...
Isaac: ...dating
Zac: I don't have anyone to date right now.
Zac, you are making so many girls so happy! Are you all single?
Isaac: I was dating a girl off and on for a while recently. But that
didn't work out, so...
Taylor: I haven't really dated a lot of people. I mean, I probably
wouldn't talk about it anyway.
You're a little touchy on the girl subject, Taylor.
Taylor: Well, you know, people are always asking "Who's your
girlfriend?" or "Do you have one?" and I'm like "Well, you
know what? If I did have one, I wouldn't tell you who she was."
C'mon. Who is she?
Zac: [joking] Here's her address.
Isaac: That's the hard part, because if I take a girl somewhere, then all
of a sudden people start stalking her.
So when you finally take a girl out, where do you go to not get noticed?
Isaac: Nowhere.
Zac: We sit in the backyard and say, "This is great!"
You guys are really into that treehouse.
Isaac: We just expect to get noticed. But I guess I take girls to the
movies. To dinner. I don't know. Wherever she likes to go.
Zac: Or bowling.
Isaac: Oh, I almost always bring a girl flowers, like almost every time I
take a girl out on a date.
Zac: I'd give a girl tapes of the Weather Channel.
And you wonder why you don't have girlfriends?
Taylor: Isn't there anything better to talk about than dating?
Isaac, is Taylor the nightmare little brother when it comes to your love
life?
Isaac: [laughs] Yeah, exactly.
You must have a dating horror story.
Isaac: Yeah, the little brother.
Taylor: No, I mean, classically, it's the little brother who shoes up in
the movie, and like, you know, the big brother is about to go in for the kiss
and then it's like "Hey guys, how's it goin'"?
You did that?
Taylor: No, I mean that's the classic.
Isaac: But if I'm really going on a date...
Zac: You would check the back seats to make sure that no one is there. No
family stowaways.
Ok, now we can ditch the dating talk and get to the really important stuff,
like, your hair.
Isaac: When I first cut my hair, I flew back home for a weekend and I
couldn't believe people still recognized me.
Was it tough to cut it all off?
Isaac: I just wanted to. I thought about cutting it when we did the first
record.
Zac: I believe they wanted us all to cut our hair.
Taylor: Yeah, everybody's like "You gotta cut your hair," and
we're like, "We love our hair."
Boys are lucky because they can just go and shave their heads.
Taylor: [joking] Zac's going to shave his head.
Zac: I don't know. See, the good thing about this is girls like to play
with my hair since I have so much.
What girls, Zac? You don't have girls around remember?
Taylor: No, he said he didn't have a girlfriend. He's a player. [laughs]
That'll break a lot of hearts. Do you guys have anything you can't live
without, say, health food?
Isaac: We're into beef.
Zac: We're from the Midwest, so we're "meatatarians."
Taylor: We love meat.
Zac: I prefer frozen beef jerky on a popsicle stick and you just lick it!
It's great.
Taylor: You realize we're joking.
Zac: Dr. Pepper.
What about it?
Taylor: That's another Midwest thing. Everybody drinks Dr. Pepper.
What do your rooms look like?
Zac: We share a room. It smells gooooood.
One room? With like, one hamper? All those dirty socks and underwear in one
hamper?
Isaac: Yep. Lots of underwear, man. Lots of underwear.
How often do you change your underwear?
Taylor: That is where we're going to have to draw the line!
Settle! Just kidding!
Zac: I have one of those race car beds. It's great.
And a wagon wheel lamp?
Isaac: Actually, we had cool beds made that are log-cabin looking. Very
rural. But our room is boring. There is not a single poster on our walls.
Taylor: We have a little living room area outside of our room and we
spend time there.
Doing what?
Isaac: We don't watch very much TV. We don't have time.
Zac: The Simpsons is great.
Taylor: Actually, I love the Discovery Channel. It's awesome.
Zac: There's a crodle hunter, and he's insane. [in a accent]
'...I have here a snake in the wild...four inches from my face...I will surely
die...'
Isaac: "That's why I'm going to poke it with this short stick!"
Well, at least it's educational TV. Speaking of, how's school?
Zac: We're homeschooled.
Taylor: It's like our parents are our personal teachers.
What are your favorite subjects?
Zac: Recess.
Taylor: Yes, recess.
Zac: And creative spelling.
Got it! Last question: What CDs are you listening to right now?
Isaac: Sheryl Crow abd Lauryn Hill.
Zac: Beck, all the Crows: Sheryl Crow, Black Crowes
Taylor: Lenny Kravitz and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Seventeen Magazine, June 2000 -
Cruising With Hanson
The "MMMBop" boys get
down and dirty. by Dina Sansing
Hanson sure knows how to make a
splash! It's drizzling on Catalina Island when the three down-to-earth Oklahoma
brothers--Isaac (Ike), 19, Taylor (Tay), 17, and Zac, 14--hop into a rented golf
cart for a mini tour (with this somewhat nervous seventeen reporter). Zac hangs
off the back of the cart, and Tay, who's driving, doesn't miss a single puddle.
I ask how they've managed to
spend so much time together writing, recording, and producing their second
album, This Time Around, and still have fun. "There are times that we don't
get along," says Tay. "But if one person is being annoying, you just
say, 'Hey, chill out!.'"
Before long, the conversation
turns to amore-asubject on which Ike is well versed. "I met this really
cool girl (the other day) at the video shoot. She's a very sweet person. I
talked to her on the phone yesterday." He stops for a moment, then
continues. "I've been really bad in the past about not calling people back.
You get so busy."
"Or you don't get the numbers," Tay interjects. "Yeah," Ike
agrees. "You get involved with something else and you feel weird, like
maybe you shouldn't call. You feel awkward." Then Tay concludes,
"Ike's a hopeless romantic." So do they leave the love songs to him?
Nope. According to Tay, writing is a collaborative effort. "Sometimes one
of us may start a song about a certain person, but any of us can finish
it," he says.
The unromantic and decidedly
bubblegum tune "MMMBop" may have turned the brothers Hanson into
megastars three years ago, but that was before the invasion of Britney Spears,
the Backstreet Boys and other hip popsters. With the release of This Time
Around, the brothers will enter a much more crowded arena. But they don't seem
nervous at all. "There's nothing we can do about the competition,"
says Tay. "It'll be fun to see what happens."
Despite their laid-back
attitude, these three guys pride themselves on taking risks. Perhaps that's why
their new album sounds nothing like you'd expect. With notable guest artists
like Jonny Lang and Blues Traveler's John Popper, Hanson's latest creation has
clear roots in blues and rock 'n' roll. "For us, it's been a natural
progression," Tay says of the group's departure from upbeat pop tunes.
Their sound may be more sophisticated, but the boys prove that they're still
boys as Tay puts the pedal to the metal and gets us back to the ferry dock in
record time.
Even covered with mud, Hanson's
still a female magnet. As we wait for the ferry back to Los Angeles, the
brothers are approached by three local girls, who are thrilled to see the stars
in their midst. The guys chat with the fans and wave goodbye after signing
autographs, leaving them with a great story for their friends.
React Magazine, May 1-7 2000
- Hangin' Around with
Hanson
The brotherly band has come a long way from the Middle of Nowhere.
The Tulsa trio of Zac (drums),
14, Taylor (keyboards and percussion), 17, and Isaac (guitar), 19, has a new CD.
It's called This Time Around. It rocks. It pops. It also makes you think.
by Nina Malkin
This Time Around has a
different sound.
Taylor: It's a little
more raw, more rock 'n' roll. You try different chords, continue to experiment.
It's good to push yourself to the limit.
Zac: When you're writing
songs, you don't go, "Well that worked last time -- let's do the exact same
thing."
Lyrically, the album's full
of deep thoughts.
Taylor: Some are just
about rockin' out, but a lot are deep. When you write a song, you're working
something through in your head.
Isaac: On (first single)
"This Time Around," the lyrics are introspective, but not depressing.
It's actually very triumphant.
Tell us about some other
songs.
Taylor: "Runaway
Run" is about being in love with someone and knowing it's not going to
happen. "In the City" is about someone cheating on you and you feel
completely lost.
Zac: "If Only"
is about the dorky guy who doesn't know what to say to the girl -- like, 'How
will I ask her out?'"
But you guys really seem to
have the life -- you do what you love and get fame, fortune, and countless
screaming girls for it. Where does the sad stuff come in?
Taylor: You can feel
depressed even if you rule the world. We're just reflecting thoughts that
everyone has, everyone connects with.
John Popper of Blues
Traveler and Jonny Lang are special guests on the album. How did that happen --
and what was it like working with them?
Taylor: We met them both
on tour, and it was just like, "Hey, would you ever want to play?" You
listen to either of them and you're like, "Whoa!"
Isaac: John Popper is
hilarious, and Jonny Lang is not so much funny as a very cool person, and fun to
hang out with -- we bonded with him.
Zac: (puts on a goofy
drawl) He's just so together and happening, how could you not bond with the boy?
You all have different
haircuts now. Any other personal transformations?
Isaac: I'm still hoping
for a couple more inches. I don't care if Tay's taller than me, I just always
wanted to be 6 feet tall. That's my goal.
Taylor: I have a pierced
ear. I like it, but I would not recommend cartilage piercing. It did not hurt at
all when I got it done, but it gets swollen, and you get a bump on your ear no
matter what -- it's a hassle.
How did you guys ring in the
millennium?
Taylor: We did what we
always do -- We were at home, just had friends over. We were with the same
people we were with for the last couple of New Years, the ones we try to spend
time with when we have time.
You still have the same
"before they were rock stars" friends?
Zac: All our friends are
famous!
Isaac: (shoots Zac an
eye-roll) I have a best friend. He has known me literally all my life. We have a
group of friends who are our close buds.
People in your position
could have anything. How do you keep from going hog-wild?
Taylor: Life has a lot
of temptations, and things do open up to you. People think, "Oh, there are
girls throwing themselves at you, and you're making money." But we got into
this because we love music.
Isaac: Besides, it would
wind up just this big hole you get yourself into. Nothing against the girls,
that's a nice added bonus, but the truth is you can only meet so many people.
So what do you indulge in?
Zac: Dirt bikes.
Isaac: Guitars.
Taylor: My only guilty
pleasure is coffee.
TV Hits Australia, May 2000 -
WE WILL ROCK YOU!
Hanson have grown up and rock
harder than ever, but they still send fans home weak at the knees! Ike, Tay and
Zac 'fess up on all things Hanson - Including girls!
TV Hits: What's the
weirdest thing about having such fanatical fans?
Tay:
People drive across the country for 10 hours to sit in front of our house and
camp out! Usually there's four of five cars there. It's good having fans like
that - they'll camp out to see your concerts!
TV Hits: Do you still
get loads of fan mail?
Tay:
It's phenomenal! The things people send you in the mail...fans from South
America send scrolls saying "I love you" over and over across the
page. They're about six inches thick, and at the end it says how many "I
love you's" are written on it! It blows me away that people devote so much
time to make something like that for you.
TV Hits: It must be hard
to resist all those screaming girls throwing themselves at you.
Tay:
I don't resist - I jump in the middle of them! It scares them more. There's no
secret, the fans aren't out to hurt you or kill you, they're just excited. We
get so many fans following us around!
TV Hits: Do you honestly
think your success is due to your looks or your songs?
Tay:
I think our popularity is due more to our songs than our looks. We're totally
amazed by our success!
TV Hits: What's the one
question you hate answering?
Ike:
"Are your younger brother and sisters going to join the band?" But the
most stupid question we've been asked is, "How did you guys meet?" All
you can say is, "It was in the house. I came down the stairs one morning
and Zac was there. We're brothers, moron!"
TV Hits: Have you had
time to find a girlfriend since we last spoke?
Tay:
What for? I'm always somewhere else. There's a girl that I've liked for a while.
I don't think I'll ever dare tell her how I feel.
Zac:
Girls would have to be really butch if they wanted to hang out with us! I don't
think that many girls would want to go out with us!
TV Hits: Do you still
have a massive crush on Jennifer Aniston?
Tay:
She's not my number one any more. The girl I've got my eye on is Claire Grogan.
She used to sing in the group Altered Images in the '80s. She's the wife of one
of our producers.
TV Hits: What's the
greatest experience being pop stars has given you?
Tay:
We've been all around the world - it's pretty incredible. We value so much the
support the fans have given us.
Zac:
We know how lucky we are to be able to travel so much. Some of our friends have
never left their home town.
TV Hits: Do your
brothers and sisters miss you when you're away?
Ike:
It's true that it isn't always easy for them. Usually just our dad goes travels
with us, but sometimes the whole family come along. That's a lot of Hansons in
one hotel!
TV Hits: Zac, do you and
Ike get jealous of all the attention Tay gets?
Zac:
With seven kids in a family you can't have a competitive spirit between you.
We've all on the same level - no favoritism. When it comes to Nintendo champion
of the band, that's another story!
Tay:
I don't see myself as the heart-throb or the leader, I'm just the main singer.
As people, none of us think we're better than the others.
Request Magazine, May 2000
- Brothers Gonna Work it Out
The Hansons are back. Older,
wiser, and- yes -cuter. Can these geezers rule to pop world they helped launch
three years ago with "MMMBop"?
Its Valentines Day, that
cruelest of secular holidays and a bevy of girls who've logged on for a live
Yahoo chat with the brother's Hanson are dying to know: "Are there any
lucky ladies in your lives?"
Somewhere out there in the real
world, teen siblings Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson sit at the ready amiably
fielding this and other decidedly non-musical question with the aid of the
cyber-moderator. "How many Valentines did you get?" "Why did you
cut your hair?" "What was the last movie you saw?" "What
kinds of snacks do you guys like?" Not exactly a probing inquiry into a
platinum-selling band's creative process. But compared to the scores of rogue
postings from various chat-room miscreants ("This is dumb,"
"Ike's a perv," "Taylor pierced his d*ck"), the boy's loving
praise of grandma's homemade Chex mix comes as a welcome bit of trivia.
Days later the threesome
touches down in Dallas for a rapid round of radio spots, photo shoots and a live
chat of the in person variety with Request. Its been nearly three years since
MMMBop lifted the bands auspicious debut Middle of Nowhere into the
international pop stratosphere, and in that time the brothers have become
visibly at ease with the business of self-promotion. Not the least bit fazed by
their wee-hour wake-up call, the red-eyed commute from their native Tulsa
Oklahoma, the doting stylists, or the repeated chick of camera, the kick back
comfortably into stuffed chair at an upscale Dallas hotel aptly called The
Mansion.
Digital Age tactics such as
Webcasts and live Internet chats certainly help to further their cause, but
notoriety in the wired world also has its price. Rough demo versions of the
songs on Hanson's new This Time Around (Island) were circulated on the Internet
as early as last summer, presumably leaked by some feverish fan with a mole in
the industry. "It makes it really hard to just keep things low-key"
eldest brother Isaac says on the online Hanson hysteria. "We knew it was
bad when we got a dog" fresh-faced Taylor adds. "Like, no one had seen
it-I can't imagine how anybody found out - and it was instantly on the Internet.
The name and everything. It was crazy."
Yep crazy. Crazy like the
summer of 1997, when the MMMBop outbreak placed a trio of well-mannered,
long-haired, home-schooled Okies at the top of The Village Voice's annual "Pazz
and Jop" critics poll for Single of the Year, beating out the formable
likes of Puff Daddy, the Spice Girls, Chumbawamba, and Oasis. Half the fun of
the song's phenomenal success was in watching the grown-up critical
establishment scramble to make sense of the mania. The Voice's Robert Christgau
was moved to declare that "not since vintage Madonna has trifling pop so
perfervidly demanded high-powered exegesis." Err.yep, crazy.
Of course for the younger fans
- those invested in stuff like favorite snacks and family dogs - nothing on
Middle of Nowhere needed translation. Written and performed primarily by the
boys themselves, the album was an instantly chewable, chart-worthy set or
organic pop delights, as DIY-minded as some of punk rock's finest, but with
cloying R&B harmonies and pubescent blue-eyed soul instead of bad eye-makeup
and middle fingers. Hitting the Top 40 consciously well ahead of N'Sync and the
like, it was a purer strain of teen pop that nipped cynicism in the bud and
quite likely sent thousands of adolescents straight to guitar lessons and school
band sign-ups. No question, the Hansons still have mad love for their underage
fan base. But on the long awaited This Time Around (its original fall 1999
release date pushed back after early sessions with Ric Ocasek were scrapped for
still vague reasons) the MMMBoys re-enter the pop universe with a taller taste
in rock, a more refined sense of song, and a readiness to push their way well
inside adult alternative territory. Collaborating with Middle producer Stephan
Lironi, the trio enlisted the blues-rooted Johnny Lang and John Popper to help
bolder their R&B instincts. That the title track - a piano driven slice of
Southern harmony that would sound at home in the middle of a Black Crowes album
- was selected as the first U.S. single should be proof enough that these kids
aren't interested in being confined to the candy rack.
"I feel really good about
this time that's gone by [since the last album]," says Taylor whose voice
has already aged a notch closer to the brawny Motown singers he was reared on.
"In a way, I think the fact that we've grown up I bit makes it easier for
some people to accept us. Sometimes it scared people that it could be three
really young guys who were seemingly that squeaky-clean making good, real music.
Having grown up a little bit maybe helps some people accept it."
"Wait" youngest
member Zac interjects with a smirk. "So our selling point is 'We're older -
You can Accept it'?!" Laughs all around. A cuddly 11-year-old back with the
group first broke, drummer Zac would now trounce his bandmates in a Most
Affected by Puberty Since Our Last Tour contest. On the tail end of a major
growth spurt and a voice change more drastic than Taylor's, he's still the
spastic cut-up of the bunch, prodding the conversation every few minutes with
goofy impressions, toothy gags, and the occasional belch-on-command.
"Maybe this time it'll be,
'Oh they're too hard'" Zac jokes, imagining what kind of pointed criticism
awaits his bands natural evolution. "'They're not bubble gummy enough! They
cut their hair and they went RAWK!'" The less boisterous but more talkative
Taylor sees the slings and arrows coming too, but doesn't seem the least bit
threatened. "If somebody wants to put you down, they'll find a reason to do
it," he says matter-of-factly. "Whether you're Britney Spears or the
Black Crows." "Whether they're saying you got fake boobs or that
you're too old" Isaac agrees. "There's plenty of ammunition for people
to get at us, too. Like we're trying too hard to be cool or something." He
shrugs, then cracks a contented smile. At 19, Isaac doesn't pull fraternal rank
of his younger sibs, but rather balances their caffeinated chatter with a stoic
sense of simple truth. He wears this newly confident reserve well, even on the
album. "Love Song" and "Hand in Hand" both showcase his
versatile pipes and melodic moxie, the latter spiced with a Santana-flavored
solo by Lang.
"Dying to Be Alive"
another mid-tempo standout, benefits greatly for the presence of a full gospel
choir led by Rose Stone first-rate vocal arranger and veteran of Sly & the
Family Stone. "You don't have soul when you meet Rose Stone," Isaac
recalls with reverse. "We felt transparent after meeting them," Taylor
says. "Like, 'We're beyond white boys. We're clear.'"
So here's the question: Will
the millions of young listeners (and a good many of their guardians) who bopped
aboard the early Hanson bandwagon be as exited to ride along with this more
seasoned set? Is there room in the Top 40 for a crew of infinitely gracious
Christian teens who sound something like Matchbox 20 and nothing like Christina
Aguilara? Does the average Yahoo chat cat know her Rose Stone from her Stone
Roses?
"Its kinda funny,"
Zac chuckles, "because we've always grown up knowing old music. I remember
one time a friend of ours came over while we were listening to the Jackson Five.
He's like 'Who is that band?' and I'm like 'The Jackson Five' and he's like 'Who
are they?' and I'm like 'Are you an idiot?!'"
Mind you, the Hanson boys don't
take their affection for the classic soul, pop and R&B entirely for granted.
They still share a bedroom - and consequently, a stereo - but they're not so
insulated they think the whole world can immediately latch onto the old-time
influences that permeate their music. They're willing to help listeners get it.
Even with state-of-the-art
production and some wholly modern flourishes, there's no guarantee that
pop-loving minors will get into This Time Around. After all, there's plenty of
over-the-counter bubblegum out there for those who'd just as soon stay put in
the musical middle school. But nature has a funny way of taking the wheel
whether you're a major-label-recording artist or an average teen with an
appetite for diversion. Or both.
"If it's either crack or
video games, I think I'll go with the video games." Zac is referring to his
Sony PlayStation habit, which may or may not be spiraling out of control. If
VH-1 is desperate to produce a Behind the Music on Hanson, maybe this bit of
not-so-dirty laundry will satisfy the "heard-rending battle with
addiction" prerequisite.
Indeed for Zac, the most
alluring aspect of the band's upcoming Japanese tour is a chance to test drive
the new PlayStation 2, six months before it hits the States. He's still
bantering with his brothers about the technical specs of the system when their
publicist steps into the room and points at her watch. There's a plane chartered
back to Tulsa. And, Lord and Billboard willing, lot of other planes chartered to
lots of other places. Again.
Jump Magazine, April 2000 -
HANSON ON WHAT IS HIP, HOT, AND HAPPENING
by Alexa Joy Sherman
With a rockin' new record, This
Time Around, Hanson is proving to be even hipper than the last time around. So
who better to give us their views on all things cool than Isaac, Taylor, and Zac?
They insist they're just a bunch of "dorks," but to us, that just
makes them even cooler.
Do you have any idea why
thousands of screaming girls think you guys are so cool?
Taylor: I don't think it has anything to do with how cool we are as
people. Fans appreciate the band and the music we make. When it comes to
screaming girls saying "I love you, I want to marry you," they could
be saying that to anybody.
Isaac: It's just a rock 'n' roll thing. It comes and goes.
Taylor: You can't take it personally or let it go to your head. It's just
because we're in the public eye. When you're onstage, it creates excitement and
girls start screaming.
Zac: Oh yeah, women love me! [Laughs]
Taylor: You can't let yourself think that girls want to be near you because
you're so cool. Honestly, I don't think we're cool at all.
So you don't stare into the
mirror and tell yourselves how cool you are?
Isaac: No, no, no! We look in the mirror and think, Wow, what are they
thinking? Honestly, the day that I say "Wow, I'm cool," I hope
somebody slaps me.
Taylor: Oh, we will!
But what do you think of
these girls who go crazy and pass out because of you?
Taylor: We invoke seizures. [Laughs] It's just what happens. It's just
the way fans are.
Isaac: It's very cool to have people who are into the band and what we
do, but it all comes down to the music. They might not necessarily be into us as
people, except for the fact that we're musicians.
Taylor: We haven't really figured out the girl thing yet. And no one will
ever figure out the screaming thing.
Isaac: I don't think anybody's figured it out. Guys just can't figure
girls. I think girls have the guys whipped the whole time.
What are some of the best
compliments you've received from fans?
Taylor: It's inspiring when we get letters from people saying,
"You've changed our lives." Or "I was gonna commit suicide and
now I'm not because of one of your songs."
Isaac: Those are cool! But even the littlest compliments, like somebody
walking up and saying "I just wanted to say I really like your music and I
think you guys are cool," encourages us to keep doing it -- not only
because we love doing it, but because people identify with our music and
actually get something out of it.
People you grew up with must
think it's cool to be friends with Hanson.
Isaac: One of my best friends isn't even a fan of the band.
Zac: Yeah, we have a lot of friends who don't dig the music. They're just
like, "Guys, I'm sorry, but I think your music is crappy. But, uh, you guys
are cool."
Taylor: Yeah, exactly, and that's fine with us. That's what's so cool
about music; you can hate some of it and love some of it.
Do you feel cooler, or less
cool, when people call you a boy band?
Taylor: Every band gets put in a box -- whether it's the Black Crowes
being too hard and retro or the Backstreet Boys being called teenyboppers. In
the beginning, we were young and blond and we seemed like a cheesy pop band.
When you think of Hanson, you think of "MMMBop," right? There were
some deeper things going on, but people tended to focus on the young, pop side
of things.
Isaac: We definitely had people patting us on the head, saying, "Oh,
you're so cute."
Taylor: But we've always been a pop-rock band. Now that we've grown up a
little bit, hopefully it will be easier for people to accept us and get into our
music.
How have other bands and
artists treated you?
Isaac: We've had people like Lenny Kravitz walk up to us and say,
"Hey, I really love your record." And we're thinking, Whoa, Lenny
Kravitz knows who we are and he likes our music. That was really cool. Actually,
we've been embraced by many of our musical peers.
Which female artists are you
into?
Taylor: Sheryl Crow, Lauryn Hill, and, without a doubt, Aretha Franklin.
Isaac: We want to meet her so badly. She's the queen of soul!
Taylor: She's the ultimate diva.
Isaac: Yeah, when VH1 did that divas concert with Celine Dion and Shania Twain,
we were sitting there going, "Come on! Give us a break!" Then Aretha
Franklin came out and just wiped them off the planet. No offense to them, but it
would be like putting any rock band up against Aerosmith or the Stones.
Have you ever felt like
losers?
Taylor: Yeah--when we were recording the new album and Rose Stone [former
Sly and the Family Stone singers] was there with a choir. When they sang with
us, we felt like we couldn't sing at all.
Isaac: That little bit of soul we thought we had going on-- nuh-uh!
[Laughs]
Taylor: [Laughs] We felt transparent. Our ability to sing with soul
didn't exist.
What qualities make a girl
cool?
Zac: She needs to be absolutely perfect. [Laughs]
Isaac: No, I don't think there's any one quality that makes a girl cool.
You know, you find yourself meeting all kinds of different people, but until you
finally find that girl and go, Whoa, she's it, I don't think you can really
pinpoint it. You never know until you meet the girl. Hopefully, it's more than
just being physically attracted to her. It's not like I'm instantly into someone
because she looks like Cindy Crawford.
Taylor: Looks may be the initial reason you're attracted to someone, but
after that, it becomes more about the kind of person she is.
What would you do on a date
to make it really cool?
Zac: Go skydiving!
Isaac: It could be any of a bazillion things.
Zac: The thing is, you could plan the ultimate date, and something could
still go wrong and screw it all up.
Taylor: You can have the best time just going to a movie or a romantic
dinner. If you want to do crazy stuff, then you can take her skydiving. It
depends on the girl.
Isaac: Hopefully, she's the kind of person who doesn't mind if it's not
perfectly romantic -- she has a good time because she enjoys my company, and
vice versa. That's actually what makes any relationship good at the end of the
day.
Who's the coolest person in
your family?
Taylor: There are four other kids, besides the three of us. Our baby
sister is the most pampered, so she's probably considered the coolest.
Zac: And she has eight people to hold her, so what do you expect?
Isaac: None of us gets that much attention.
But of the three of you,
who's the coolest?
Taylor: What makes someone cool is just being yourself and not trying to
be something you aren't. So we're all equally cool.
Isaac: No, we're all dorks.
Zac: Yeah -- I'm not that conceited. Please let me be the dork!
Taylor: No, Zac's the coolest.
Zac: No, I want to be the dork.
Taylor: Honestly, none of us is the coolest, because we're all dorks.
The Press, April 29, 2000 -
New Zealand, GETTING A HANDLE ON HANSON
Being obnoxious comes naturally to the youngest member of Hanson. Babera
Ellan talks to the band as their new album hits the shelves.
It is 12:35pm. I'm sitting in a
plush Kensington hotel room with Hanson's publicist, waiting to meet Oklahoma's
blond child prodigy trio to arrive.
"Do you like Hanson?" asks the publicist. Well, I don't dislike them,
I say. Who could forget MMMBop, the most infectious single of 1997?
The door opens, and Hanson arrive. It's been three years and they've grown a
bit. Isaac (friendly, courteous, Dave Grohl crossed with Stewart Copeland) is
19. Taylor (pretty, poetic, Mark Owen fused with Kurt Cobain) is 16. Zac
(bratty, noisy, Meatloaf meets Angelica from Rugrats) is 14. Far from being
raised as unreconstructed hippie brats, Hanson come from an upstanding Christian
background.
They don't care to discuss this in pop interviews, so we chat a bit about their
new album, This Time Around.
It's rockier than their multi-million-selling, Brit-and-Grammy-nominated debut,
Middle Of Nowhere. The box-fresh melodies are still in place, but there are some
distinctly Sheryl Crow and Lenny Kravitz touches, and a lot more self-assurance
and swagger.
Clearly, their musical style has evolved as the boys have matured. Does Hanson
feel like a different band now? Isaac and Taylor open their mouths to comment,
but Zac gets there first. "Well, hurrr, noooooo!" he sneers. "As
you can see, it's still the same three guys who've always performed
together."
And with that, Zac bunches up his chubby lips until the almost touch the tip of
his piggy nose, and lolls back in his chair, smirking. Isn't he delightful?
1:06pm: "The way the band works," Taylor is explaining, "is that
there's three of us, and everyone has a different strength, and plays off each
other."
But are some members of Hanson more equal than others? There's usually at least
one control freak in a band, I say, glaring pointedly at Zac.
"We-ell," says Isaac. "Sometimes Taylor can be a toal
perfectionist, and I can be anal about some things too, but I guess Zac does
like to steer the band sometimes. Zac cuts straight to the chase."
I glance over at Zac, who is almost purring by now. "That's correct,"
he says grandly. "I don't think there's any point in beating around the
bush."
Watching him, the oddest feeling washes over me. What is it? I wonder.
1:11pm: As Taylor politely explains how different experiences have contributed
to changing Hanson, it hits me that I hate Zac. This is bad.
You can't just go around hating 14-year-old Christian boy drummers, however
obnoxious they might be.
1:15pm: Zac makes fun of my accent. He also claims not to be able to hear my
question about whether Hanson were irritated at being categorized as a boy band.
"What was that you said?", says Zac, cupping his ear theatrically.
"I didn't quite understand the first part." This guy is wasted on pop.
Why isn't Hollywood clamoring?
1:16pm: Isaac answers my question: "The reason Hanson is put in certain
boxes is our fan base is primarily young girls. We don't have anything against
that, but we do feel that, even more now, our music is nothing like the category
we're put into." Thank you Isaac.
Bravo Magazine, April 2,
2000 - "We still share a room!"
They are back! After almost a
two year break, Hanson returns with the single "If only" and the album
"This time around". In the Bravo interview they tell us about how what
has changed in them and what is their opinion about girls.
The Hanson brothers have
changed a lot over the past two years: Zac, who used to be a wild kid, now seems
to be calm and concentrated. Taylor has turned into the spokesman of the band
and Isaac has got ridden of his braces and glows with cool self assurance.
Bravo:
It's been a long time since you've been last in Germany. Why did you take such a
long break?
Taylor:
We didn't rest. On the contrary - there was hardly a day when we didn't work. In
1998 we were still on tour in the USA, then we had some promotion in Asia. We
put together a tour video and wrote songs. In two years we wrote up to 30
tracks, and we selected 18 - all the songs were made 100 percent by us, we
composed everything ourselves this time.
Bravo:
Your new album " This time around " sounds more mature and more rock'n
roll than your breakthrough album " Middle of Nowhere ". Have your
musical tastes changed ?
Zac:
No. We always liked rock bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Creed. But we
also like to listen to softer music like Lauryn Hill or Sheryl Crow.
Isaac:
We are very open musically and we also wanted to show that in our album. But of
course, we are first of all a rock band, that plays live. And our fans should
hear that.
Bravo:
You started the recording already 18 months ago, but the release date kept being
pushed back. What happened, did you have arguments?
Isaac:
No. We do fight occasionally like it usually happens between brothers. But it's
always for a very short moment. We actually are very tight.
Taylor:
The reason why the recording process lasted so long is that we changed
producers. We rearranged the songs then recorded them again. It was a lot of
work but it was worth it.
Bravo:
Did you record the album at home in Tulsa/Oklahoma?
Taylor:
Most of it was produced in Los Angeles. During this time we even moved with the
whole family in a house on the west coast. It was very important for us. Without
the support of our family, the whole thing wouldn't work.
Bravo:
Meanwhile you have four siblings, your youngest sister Zoe is only 2 years old.
Is there going to be an eighth Hanson sibling sometime soon?
Zac (laughing):
No, not that I know of. But mom has surprised us more than once. Then we should
rent a bus for our tour.
Bravo:
Are you actually always as a big family on the road?
Taylor:
No. Our mother Diana and our four younger siblings only come with us when we are
away for a longer period of time. When it's just a short trip, only our father
Walker is with us. Everything else would be too much stress for the little ones.
Bravo:
Have you ever dedicated a song to your family?
Isaac:
No not directly. But the title song " This time around " talks about
what our father always told us: -you can succeed in everything and overcome
every obstacle. If you want to, you can achieve a lot in your life.
Taylor:
Basically, all the songs are about our life. Even if we didn't always write
about personal experiences, each song expresses our thoughts and feelings.
Bravo:
A lot of your lyrics talk about love, for instance "Love song ". Do
you have girlfriends now?
Isaac:
No we're still single.
Bravo:
Not even a single love affair in the past two years?
Taylor:
Even if it sounds weird. But we have hardly any time. We do receive entire
baskets of love letters, but they are all fans who like us because we're Hanson.
And it would be hard to start a relationship with these girls. On top of that,
we're pretty isolated from the outside world when we're on the road, because
otherwise the fans would crush us.
Zac:
Because of that it's really difficult for us to meet a girl who loves us as a
human being and not because we happen to play in Hanson.
Bravo:
Do you still live in your parent's house in Tulsa?
Taylor:
Yes, and we don't want to go away because we're very attached to our home.
Zac:
Although we still have to share a room! (laughing)
Bravo:
Are there a lot of fans who go on pilgrimage to visit you at home?
Isaac:
Oh yes. It can be pretty stressful sometimes. There are girls who actually
travel from Spain or South America only to stand in front of our house and call
our names.
Zac