Boy bands come and go. Some split up and members go solo, oftentimes with not much success. A few remain intact, surviving the influx of new groups. One of them is Hanson, composed of brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac. Of course, it helps that they are siblings. Blood is thicker than music, you know.
A backgrounder (furnished Funfare by Dayly Entertainment which is producing the Hanson concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on March 30 and at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City on March 31):
Natives of Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Hanson brothers have been making music together for nearly two decades. Their 1997 debut albumMiddle of Nowhere introduced their out-of-the-blue, soul-inspired brand of American pop-rock ‘n’ roll to the world. It sold more than 10 million copies and spawned the trio’s hit singles MMMBop, Where’s The Love, I Will Come to Youand Weird.
Also in 1997, they released their Christmas album Snowed In, followed by a studio album in 2000, This Time Around.
In 2003, the brothers put up 3CG Records, their own company and, in 2004, released their album,Underneath (Penny & Me and Lost Without Each Other were among the hit singles from it). In 2007, they released the album The Walk.
They have just released their fifth album, Shout It Out.
“It showcases not only the music of Hanson but many aspects that have allowed the band to survive and stay relevant,” said Zac in an exclusive phone interview with Funfare. “The album is about being alive, and the contrasts we are faced with. We’ve come from a generation leaving the analog world and moving into an interconnected culture at risk of forgetting where it came from. The album tries to put together those pieces, but with a bit of melody to back it up.”
Here’s the rest of our interview:
You and your brothers Isaac and Taylor have been in the business for more than two decades. What keeps you together, considering that so many bands have come and gone?
“Even when we were kids, we were saying that we’d be together even when we were old and gray. We’ve been doing it together for years and years and we’re still enjoying it. Life goes on and things can be harsh, but we stick together whatever happens.”
Isn’t there any professional rivalry which is common among siblings in showbiz?
“You know, at this point there shouldn’t really be as much sibling rivalry. We’re not perfect, you know, we also have our faults but we’re not guilty of sibling rivalry or professional jealousy. We have struggled with each other; no one knows each other better than we do. It’s hard. Sometimes we are hard on each other but thank God, it has been a good job, it has been a good life, and we really appreciate it.”
You started in the business as teenagers. I suppose you all have families of your own now and you live apart from each other. How do you keep in touch away from music?
“The funny thing about us is that in a lot of ways we’re still together even if we’re not working. We run our label so we spend a lot of time together even if we’re not going on tour.”
Do you always agree on what kind of music you should be playing or how things in your office should be run?
“We often agree more than disagree. You know, we grew up in the same house and on the same kind of music. We play different roles in our company, each one of us runs his own area.”
Who’s the most senior among you?
“There’s no official first, second and third. We are seven siblings in the family and I’m the youngest of the three who are in the music business. We three are the only ones who have pursued music. We have a sister who’s studying art and a brother who’s studying acting.”
Why did you call your band simply Hanson and not something else?
“We did consider a few names but we decided to just use our surname as the name of our band. It’s easier to remember, isn’t it?”
Could you tell us more about your new (fifth) album, Shout It Out?
“These songs on the album go back to our roots; they are the kind of songs that we grew up on. The album kind of traces how we have grown as a band. It’s titled Shout It Out because that’s exactly what a singer wants when he wants the whole world to listen to his music — you know, to really shout it out…loud! We’ve had a long, happy journey for 20 years and we’d love to share it with the world.”
You performed in Manila a few years ago. What surprises are in store for your Filipino fans on your concert on March 30 and 31? Of course, if you tell, they won’t be surprised anymore, hehehe!
“There will be lots of surprises. There will also be a little bit of everything — our old songs, our new songs from our latest album. We expect our fans to sing along with us and enjoy the music.
(Note: Hanson Live in Manila is produced by Dayly Entertainment in cooperation with Rockstar Touring and LAMC Productions. Ticket prices are: P4,500 for Patron VIP, P3,500 for Patron, P3,000 for Lower Box, P2,500 for Upper Box A, P1,500 for Upper Box B and P500 for General Admisson. Call TicketNet at 911-5555. The concert will be on March 30 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, March 31 Waterfront Cebu City Hotel.)
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Pop band Hanson is going to perform at the Little Lake Musicfest this summer during the final show of the season on Aug. 25.
I'm telling you this because despite my former fanatic ways, it's been 14 long years since then. My musical tastes have changed and surely, I thought, theirs had too. Wrong. The predominately female crowd screamed even louder than I had remembered, groups of gals with homemade Hanson shirts were in full force, and the pushing and shoving to get closer to the golden gods was something I hadn't experienced since, I don't know, Hanson in 1997.
They played hits from their debut album 
The show at The Phoenix was actually sold out days before they were scheduled to appear. Free from former back up musicians a la "The Mmmbop" era, the three brothers competently played catchy pop tunes about love, longing, heartbreak, and well, mmm...bopping. Zac and Isaac each took a turn performing a solo acoustic song, while Taylor (let's face it, the star) sat back and watched.
So basically a Hanson concert in 2012 isn't much different than one in 1997. Same deal but I could smell weed. And whenever I had the urge to sing along I bit the straw in my gin and tonic really hard.
