In 2004, this band of brothers decided to take a leap of faith and put themselves first. They have been doing the very same ever since, and that fact that we’re still talking about it to this day means that it all worked out how it was always supposed to.
Ringing in from the homefront, as he so affectionally calls it, is Taylor Hanson, the middle brother and frequent frontman of the trio behind hits like “This Time Around,” “I Was Born,” and – of course – “Mmmbop.” The homefront, for him, is a love-filled and child-filled house in the group’s native city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and on this particular afternoon, he’s stretched a bit thin doing a few things at once, but his passion and earnest perspective on the band (his lifelong livelihood) is more than evident. In between questions about the band’s new record, Underneath: Complete, which is out today, and personal anecdotes about their aptly-named craft beer, you can hear little ones in the background and mentions of a hot water heater. Yes, Taylor Hanson is a multi-tasker, and while you might have to be that as a father of seven and a hard-working pop icon, that doesn’t mean that he and his brothers have to leave no stone unturned. But, they do, personally and professionally, and the fans are grateful for that.
Each era of the family band, which consists of Isaac, Taylor, and Zac, has its own unique stories, individual sound and inspirations, as well as its own message. Underneath, the now seminal 20-year-old record released by the band, was a turning point – the three-piece was exploring adulthood in more ways than one. Families were being built, but so was the groundwork for maturity and tenacity in terms of their career. Hanson, having had success in the mainstream with major label support, pulled back in the same willful, determined sense that got them their first big hit at the humble ages of 11, 14, and 17, and went independent. Thus, the birth of 3CG, or 3 Car Garage, the indie record label founded by the brothers, based in Tulsa, and where they would go on to release every song and album of theirs for the next two decades. It was a bold move and a scary one, but everything happens for a reason, and the Hanson brothers knew what they had to do to maintain their grounded relationship with not just each other and their growing inner circle, but with their devoted fans; the same fans who flood the small, artsy streets of Oklahoma for shows, fan club events, and music festivals, like the Hanson-led Hop Jam.
The theme here and the obvious through-line of what makes Hanson, Hanson, is a heart that beats for those they care about, and a heart that beats in time with the genre-defying music that has garnered them a worldwide fanbase. It’s beautifully connecting and wonderfully inspiring. We know that now, but they knew that then, 20 years ago as they embarked on Underneath – now expanded upon in one of the most truthful and evocative ways that an artist can when revisiting moments in their career and songs that reflected certain life-altering moments.
Right now we are in the midst of the 20th anniversary celebration of a record that has always defined who you guys are, but had also subtly outlined who you guys have become and where you guys could go. I think this is a perfect time to be chatting and catching up since our last conversation with you all was in 2008, and the only major time before that during your breakthrough in 1997.
Yeah, absolutely. This is perfect. Where have we been? [Laughs] It’s awesome to be getting into it now, though, so where can I shed some light?
Well, I was wondering, with this revisiting of Underneath and that chapter in the band’s career that opened up a whole new do-it-yourself world for you guys, what is going through your mind? And why is now, at the 20 year anniversary, a good time to be unpacking that era and dusting off some of those songs?
You know, we’ve had a lot of things going on and a lot of milestones to mark in the last few years. We’ve been at this since we were very young, so we have a much longer career than the average band that’s at this point in our life, age-wise. We’ve been playing for 30 years and I’m 41, so we’ve been making music most of our lives. I do think this one is significant, though, because starting the independent label was really a big chapter for us and it was a major decision. It was a time where the industry really wasn’t there for us. There were very few independents that were also more mainstream artists – pop artists and artists that were going to radio. We’re a rock and roll band, but we come from history of reaching a lot of fans through incorporating pop and soul, so becoming an independent band was more of an anomaly at that time and with our kind of music. We think that now it is a reward for us to be able to look back and realize that we found our way through a season of building things that were different than what many people would have chosen to do. We chose to invest in ourselves. We chose to build a distribution network around the world. We chose to hire people and build a team. That’s just a very different approach than a lot of our peers were taking. Now I think we see that it has allowed us to build an even stronger relationship with a lot of fans and, frankly, keep them for the long run. That was always our hope – in the end, all this stuff comes back to the simple idea of why do you do it, and we do it for the music, but then after that, you do it for the fan relationship and what they care about is the music and the community.
That is quite true. Your fans have followed you around the world – literally and figuratively.
They have. What’s the next thing on your thinking cap here? [Laughs]
I can’t help but think about how Underneath, the original album, has a good amount of songs that reflect the importance of finding that balance of life and love, as well as honing in on that connection between you three, but also you three with the fans. Like you said, this career is about being here for the art and about what the art brings to those who spend time with it.
It absolutely is.
The original album opened up with “Strong Enough to Break,” right? And then you have a song like “Lost Without Each Other” later on the record. Lyrically, those songs were symbolizing what you were all feeling and yearning for in that moment, all of which played into the want – wanting to be the best version of yourselves for everyone in the world of Hanson. There’s a lot of weight to that in terms of what you are even saying now: “We went independent, we did this for ourselves, but we also did it for you, the fans, and we’re still doing that for the exact same reasons.”
Absolutely! I was talking about this album, but every album connects to a significant part of your life in the same way if you were a fan. You know, you become a fan and you remember when you first heard an album and why you liked it. As the songwriter and as an artist, of course it’s the same. You remember why you made the album or the song and what it meant to you. Really, this is probably the most truly coming-of-age record there is. We were pushing out of our teens and going into our early twenties. We were launching an independent company. We were taking a lot of new risks. I was starting my marriage, I was building a family. I mean, all of these things were happening at once; all of this was emerging within the relationships and sort of all because we were taking the risks we did.
Also, not being understood necessarily. I think as a band, because of where we come from and our style and the sound that makes up our background, we’ve never quite been able to fit into one category very well. We have sort of always been a musical category of none. We’re harmonizing and we’re singing Motown songs, but we’re a garage band. We’re on pop radio, but we’re an independent band that presents itself as more accessible. We’re not super obscure, but at the same time, we’re really as much about music as any band has ever been. We’re here for the music. That’s what it’s all really fueled by. And so I think this record is one of those that is about just having the courage to continue to stay the course.
There’s also a lot of joy in this album. I mean, there’s struggle around it and there was the serious burden of the label that didn’t understand it/wasn’t gonna let us leave the big company because we had this history, you know? Hanson had sold a lot of records – and has sold a lot of records. We had to choose what we wanted, though. We basically had to push our way out to say, “We’re leaving and starting anew.” The reason, for me, as to how we had the confidence to do that was, one, we really felt proud of what we were making. I remember writing “Penny and Me” and recording it many months before we left and started our label and how it happened that it became recorded and released the way we did. I remember saying, “This is it. This is the first single from this album. This is the feeling I wanna share.” Here we are 20 years later and that song still has the feeling that it had then, which is about being in the moment and realizing that the things you love, the people you love, and the songs you love… they connect. They give you a way to sort of take every moment and realize its beauty, take note of the highs and the lows and the places that we go, because they’re all part of this big movie that’s unfolding, and all of that is your life. The album is just a soundtrack for that, you know?
Underneath still hits home to me more than some. It’s the one album that I probably go back to more than others. It’s one of my favorite records that I actually want to listen to. I don’t know if that is an indication of quality, but it’s certainly an indication of what we’re hoping people felt about it… and continue to feel about it.
Hanson as a whole has never looked down on their ‘old’ catalog. You’re often revisiting songs and eras, sometimes even in a new light. Your album String Theory was such a beautiful way to revisit and reinterpret classic numbers within your catalog. Still, I can only imagine how it feels to be going back to Underneath in this deeper way and seeing its own history come to a head alongside the anniversary. I can only imagine how personal this must’ve been to put together.
For us, we’ve always been able to celebrate our history, I think because we were always the writers and it was always our voice. These songs are ours.
There are many bands – I see this all the time, and it’s not about even being young or old – who have released albums that sometimes they really don’t want to relive. Maybe they don’t have good memories of the process, or they had gone through a breakup, or a band member left, or they’re not interested in a particular area of that record. That happens with lots of artists; I certainly have my own albums that I might have a stronger connection to, just for me even. However, I think we’ve been able to really continue to celebrate where we’ve come from and never been shy about celebrating everything from “Mmmbop” to “Penny and Me” to “I Will Come to You” to all the songs in between. I think that is because we made the choices and we continue to make the choices – not necessarily even the most commercial ones, but we’ve chosen to do projects that we first and foremost believe in. I think that’s allowed us to put our head down on a pillow and sleep well every night. And even if it’s not hitting the trend of the moment, it speaks to why you’re doing it. That is really at the heart of how we’ve tried to have a career, just start with, “Is this something that I’m gonna be proud of? If nobody hears it or if everybody hears it, will I be proud? If it’s amazing, and I’m really proud of it on its own, that’s enough.” It’s kind of a win-win philosophy, right? You’re going to have success because you’re proud of your work. I believe that all creators are looking to do that, but we don’t have a lot of things that we want to brush under the rug or that we want to forget about. We’re proud of it all, and I’m grateful for that
For sure. Coming from a fan and not just a journalist, I think a large part of the Hanson ethos is this sense of self and sense of worth that comes from within the band. You’re a fan of the work you do and a fan of what you create alongside each other. It’s all thoughtful and colorful. I think that’s what makes it resonate. Your career has always been homegrown, tangible in a way, and inspired by what you all love, and Hanson has always been effective in showcasing that.
Tell me what you think, you have your own perspective as a fan, and it sounds like you’re saying we’re like the band next door.
Yeah, in a way you are the band next door or the boys next door. Fans have had a front row seat to much of your lives like you were our neighbors just doing what you love the whole time, and there’s a lot of heart, a lot of artistic passion in this.
We’re relatable [Laughs].
Relatable in the sense that you’re putting yourselves first as people and musicians. That’s the way an art should be since it’s about expression. It’s about loving what you’re doing, and that’s how all artists really start – from the ground up, with a love for the creativity. You’ve gone so far and have had such an outstanding career, you continue to do so many things, but you still feel like those guys hanging out making music. That’s special.
Well, I’m happy to hear that [Laughs]. With everything that we’ve done and we continue to do, even right now thinking, ‘What’s next?’ and even the questions about, ‘Well, did we do the right thing on that project?’ – the truth is, we are always fighting for that simple question of, “What’s the why? Why are we even doing this?” I don’t believe you can be successful – especially creating art, but even if you don’t – if you don’t believe at a certain level that what you’re doing or what you’re creating is worth somebody’s time. I’m asking you to give away an hour of your time, or two hours for a concert, so if I’m showing up and kind of going, “Well, this is my ‘job,’ and I’m gonna go do my work and I’m gonna knock out an album and I’m gonna be done,” then I almost feel like it disrespects everybody that is out there. If we’re asking you to wait in a line or sign up for a fan club or put a t-shirt on that says our name, it has to be worth it.
I think it starts with caring about it yourself, then realizing that it’s actually an act of caring about the fan, because if you stop treating it like it matters, then it won’t. I mean, this is my philosophy, and I think you shouldn’t stop treating something like it matters in a big way and like it is important stuff, like somebody is gonna listen to this and somebody is gonna try and figure out what it means, and somebody is gonna be having a really bad day or a bad life moment, or lose a friend or get married or watch something fall apart… music finds its way right into the middle of all of that. It sort of behooves us as creators, but we need to give everything we have to this so that it’s there for you. Sometimes you nail it, right? Sometimes things just happen and you just feel like the universe just came along with you, but other times you’re fighting really hard to get projects to come together or songs to come together. It doesn’t matter how long it takes to get there, but I’m always just so grateful for the opportunity to share something that other people are gonna make a part of their life and their story.
Definitely. You’re not only creating the soundtrack of your own life with these albums and documenting your evolution, but you’re becoming the soundtrack of other people’s lives. Like you’re saying, you know, in the good times and in the bad times, people might be leaning on your songs or even just having them on in the background of holidays and integral life moments. The music is timeless and it comes from a genuine place from all three of you, which is very commendable and has everything to do with how you guys have navigated your career, specifically from the Underneath album and onwards.
I can’t really find anything that I don’t agree with, and I appreciate all of what you just said, so thank you. Thanks for letting us be a part of your story.
Just to bring this back to Underneath now and what we’re doing, I will say this is a unique tour and because of everything you’re saying; we wanted to do a tour that was around this record and the memories that come with it. Part of the reason we’re doing it the way we are – two nights in every city – is because we are sort of rebuilding on the album. We were rebuilding things like we did then [in 2004]. We had three-and-a-half years between albums [in 2004] and we were stuck kind of not having the team around us to keep touring while we dealt with label trauma and drama, and so we started off by going small. We went to small rooms to sort of rebuild the connection and remind the fans that were there that we were coming back and we were going to be available to them through the album that was still going to be released. We did an entire acoustic tour with that, and then we did an entire electric tour – really all for the same album. They were such a pivotal part of that record. For us, it was also part of the sound of the record. The record was influenced by these more textural artists, by ones that we’re referencing now with this re-release, like Nick Drake and the “Pink Moon” song, but also artists now that are really significant names that people know, but were just emerging then. There were a lot of British artists then that inspired us and we got to know, like Coldplay, Travis, David Gray, Damian Rice, and also Nick Drake who set the tone for a lot of those artists. Doing an acoustic tour and doing an entire show that focused more on the textures of acoustic instruments and harmonies led to us being a little bit less R&B, a little less Motown. It made sense for us to sort of do that with this music.
The whole tour this fall is just remembering what steps we took to re-relaunch the band and that era, and kind of honor it and have fun celebrating it. That is why we thought, “Who are we bringing along? What else can we bring along to make this feel special?” That’s why there are all these layers to this tour, but it is going to be one that we are super, super happy with. We have incredible support with us on this tour. We have Matthew Sweet, who co-wrote the first song on Underneath, and he’s a really phenomenal artist and songwriter, as well as a really respected and great performer. Then we have Phantom Planet, who we are long term friends with and was one of the bands who was emerging in the early 2000s, as well. We got to know them right as we got to know members of Rooney and Maroon 5 and a lot of the California sort of cluster of power pop bands. So to have Phantom Planet and Matthew Sweet going on this tour is just a complete alignment – it aligns with the message of this whole project. It’s just to say, “This is almost exactly what we wanted to be able to do at that very moment,” which then was, “These are the bands and the artists that we are, and who we want to be aligned with.” We are just a rock and roll band made of pop songwriters and craftsmen. I think this whole tour is gonna paint a picture for what we were always hoping to say through that music, and so it’s gonna be fun.
It looks like it’s gonna be such a great time. I love that the tour is called The Underneath Experience, because I do think that that album and that era was an experience that is even more well-rounded now with this reflection, with these connections, and with those relationships being put forth on the stage for us. I think it’s going to warm a lot of hearts.
[Laughs]. I hope so. I hope so. The one other element, which I’m sure you’re aware of, but I do have to mention it, is just us continuing to have new ways to celebrate. We are relaunching and introducing our craft beer to a lot of places for the first time. That’s another way that we are creating that ‘experience.’ We now have this signature beer, Pink Moonlight, which is referencing “Penny” and referencing our cover of “Pink Moon,” which we’re excited to share. It is a really, really, really great recipe. We’ll be introducing our flagship beer, Mmmhops, throughout the tour, as well. What I like about that in particular, and obviously we’re excited to share more craft beer with people, because we love this community, but in a way, it’s the beer development. We learned a lot when becoming an independent band and building a label. That really opened up the opportunity to think about being an entrepreneur and launching something totally different. I feel like Hanson Brothers Beer has its own identity. It exists because of the experience we went through of forging ahead and building something independently and learning about taking chances in different ways and building teams. It’s fitting that we have a really good launchpad this year, too, to bring the craft beer theme into a lot of places that we’ve wanted to for some time. We’ve now been doing Hanson Brothers Beer for 10 years now, and Underneath is turning 20, so lots of things are converging on this project. […]
There’s a lot of consistency that we’re noticing and we’re coming full circle to in this conversation about music, and that is to really believe in doing things that you can stand behind. Even the craft beer world – you know, that’s not for everybody, and, frankly, a lot of people don’t drink. That’s not their lifestyle, which is great. But one of the things I love about that sort of industry and that sort of side of food and beverages, is that the people really love their community, much like musicians and bands. They really wrap around their craft beer and their pub and the neighborhood brewery, which is now really coming back in America. I am always really encouraged by that sort of independent spirit that you get with that. It feels very Americana. It is very like ‘Main Street somewhere” and “This is my brewery, this is my pub, this is my craft.” That was gone for so long, so it’s just really exciting to see how strong it is now. I also think that as much as I love craft beer itself, I think the thing that really has sold us and really continues to connect us and make us want to really want it to grow and get bigger and do more, is just how strong the connection to every city and every state and every community this is. You can forge those relationships through celebrating local businesses and making a craft beer. It’s very connecting and very similar to what happens with music and fans and bands, so they all work well together.
Community is key, in-and-out of the band and the work put in, and Hanson is the pinnacle of that. It’s been such a joy to be a fan of yours for so long and to see that growth and be part of it, as well. Thank you for always keeping the fans involved, integrated, and immersed in what you’re doing, and for also loving what you’re doing, because that makes us love whatever it is that much more.
[Laughs] Well, you can count us to keep fighting for that, at the shows, in person, and behind the scenes. Let’s not wait another 15 years before we’re doing another interview, either!
FOR TICKETS TO THE UNDERNEATH EXPERIENCE TOUR, WHICH COMES TO NYC ON OCTOBER 16 & 17, CLICK HERE! UNDERNEATH: COMPLETE IS OUT NOW WHEREVER YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC!
FOR MORE ABOUT HANSON BROTHERS BEER, VISIT THEIR WEBSITE!
