Hanson Is Cool. . . Seriously, Part Two

By Brenna Chase

To celebrate the upcoming release of Hanson’s newest album, Shout It Out, and to commemorate their recent “5 For 5” concerts, here is part two of our series on Hanson. Yes, Hanson.

Go here for part one.

Although Hanson might be a more liberal, noncreepy, modern day version of the Osmonds, these guys are hipper than you might think. In a time when “indie” rockers are touted by major labels, Hanson is the true definition of a DIY band.

After the sophomore “slump” of their follow-up album This Time Around (a mere 262,000 records sold in 2000) and years of struggles with their label Mercury Records during the messy Island Def Jam merger, they parted ways with Mercury due to irreconcilable differences. Whereas countless bands in the same position were neglected and eventually dropped from their major labels when the overly confident industry of the ’90s was just beginning to collapse, Hanson got out of their contract on their terms and forged ahead on their own, by choice.

In 2003, they founded Three Car Garage Records, named after the place they first began making music together when they were kids. Taylor Hanson says the name of their label “represents unused space,” a fitting description, as they have set out to create and build their own niche in the music industry that no longer had room for them. The band took the songs that no one at their previous label supported and pushed onward, recording their next album on their own and taking its promotion into their own hands.

Without label support, they went back on the road in 2003, playing to the smallest venues in their career since before their glory days at MTV. They started with an acoustic tour, featuring the band in its stripped down form—just the three guys, on piano, drums, and guitar. They debuted new songs to the public for the first time in over three years alongside these bare bones versions of the hits they were famous for. And the new songs they played were GOOD—with the same catchy, floating melodies rooted in solid harmonies that made their older material hits, but without any of the extraneous production (or critics’ speculation).

Loyal fans followed the tour to each show. Those who were skeptical and attended shows out of curiosity or amusement (including yours truly) were quickly converted by Hanson’s charming, more mature pop style and command over their audience. The band sold an EP of live, acoustic versions of new tunes at the shows, whetting loyal fans’ appetites for their forthcoming full length album. Word spread and the crowds (and the venues) grew bigger. The band (with wives and children in tow) toured consistently throughout the summer and fall of 2003 before concluding with a sold out show at Carnegie Hall. Not too shabby for a comeback.

Once they brought their music back to the masses, it was clear that demand for Hanson still existed, so they took a risk and used their “MMMBop” royalties to release their next full-length album, Underneath, independently on 3CG. Most of the songs on Underneath were written and at least preproduced (and rejected) during their struggles with Island Def Jam years before, yet remarkable musical growth was already manifest on the album by the time it was finally released.

Underneath is a fun, focused record interlaced with some more mature themes that retain the same distinguishable Hanson sound minus the bullshit (i.e., the overproduction and DJ scratches of their previous hits). What remains are simple pop structures with feeling, catchy choruses, and perfect melodies anyone can sing along to after one listen—basically, what’s left is what the band does best.

The only question was, were there enough people paying attention to the band and their music after three years of silence, when they no longer had a major label to help stimulate the public mindset?

Pages: 1 2