BOY BANNED
The teen idol brothers are all grown up, finds Michael Diggins
26th May 2005

Eight years ago they were the biggest pop pin-ups in the world, the hysteria surrounding them them likened to the height of Beatlemania.

Off the back of some of the hookiest melodies going around, including the brain-enveloping MMMBop, Hanson were in the charts and on the bedroom wall of every teenage girl.
But the difference between these guys and every other pretender was that they could actually write.

That was then, though, and this is now. The three brothers from Tulsa - Isaac (guitar), Taylor (vocals/piano/guitar) and Zac (drums) - went quiet for a few years.

Record company wranglings and life changes (Taylor is married with a child) left the brothers without a vehicle to push their brand of radio-friendly pop-rock.

Until they went independent.

"Our goal is always to put the passion you have in your music on the table and hopefully people will respond," says eldest brother Isaac.

"The reason I started singing with Tay and Zac was because I couldn't have it any other way." For Hanson, the struggles began when their music was controlled by an "inherited" record company - Island Def Jam, a label more known for its R&B hip-hop sensibilities.

"Most of the time we spent between (second album) This Time Around and (new album) Underneath was recording," Isaac says.

"But a lot of our stuff was extended and delayed because of an unproductive relationship with Island Def Jam which put us in an awkward position.

"I would not have been surprised if they put LL Cool J on some of our songs."

And then the brothers decided to release Underneath without the support of a major label - something which Isaac says was a "liberating experience."

"It's more flexible and allowls for growth and change," he says. "The goal was to cover as many areas as possible. We felt there were a lot of things we wanted to do with this record." He believes that the record marks a maturing stage for the band.

"The songs will definately surprise people with who Hanson really is," he says. "But that's my goal - to make it similar but surprising."

And now the band is embarking on an Australian tour, with the changes this time around very obvious. For a start, their parents won't be on the road.

"Mom and Dad don't tour with us anymore," says Isaac. "But it's funny because my folks are cool and we couldn't have hoped to have more tolerant and supporting people around.

"Personally, there's a difference between being 19 and 24, and I definitely drink more whiskey and smoke a few more cigarettes - it wreaks havoc on the voice."

Adelaide is one city Isaac is looking forward to visiting.

"I know a really awesome guitar tech from Adelaide and have heard some great things about all the good times he's had," he says. "We've always had great fans in Australia and it's one of my favourite countries in the world."

Hanson plays at Thebarton Theatre on June 4