SOUND CHECK: 'WE'RE NOT DONE'
Nick Marino - Staff
Thursday, October 23, 2003

THE ADOLESCENT SIBLING TRIO Hanson burst onto the charts in 1997 with a ridiculously infectious pop song and unusually prominent orthodontia, attaining pinup status and igniting the late-'90s kiddie-pop movement. The roster of artists that followed, though, featured few prominent acts who wrote their own songs and played their own instruments --- which was Hanson's claim to fame all along.

Many of the teen-poppers have faded away, but the brothers Hanson have kept at it, and they're now gearing up to release their third major record, "Underneath." They collaborated with Matthew Sweet on the title cut, and they even brought in producer and admirer Bob Marlette, known for his work with Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath, for a couple of the tracks.

"Once you [have had the] teen idoly stuff, that's a hard thing to come back from," Marlette said. "It's tough sometimes, because people tell us that we're done --- but we're not done."

Hanson still plays its breakthrough hit "MMMBop," which anchored the "Middle of Nowhere" CD that sold 8 million copies. But guitarist Isaac Hanson describes "Underneath" as "the biggest creative jump yet," and said he isn't out to prove naysayers wrong.

"I'm not about to sit around and justify myself to people," he said, "because I believe in what I do, and there are a lot of people at all of these shows that are into what we're doing. I think what it all comes down to is, you make the best record that you can. You make the best record you've ever made."

Hanson is in the midst of a small-scale acoustic tour that stops Wednesday in Atlanta. "Underneath" is due in February.

> THE 411: $20. 8 p.m. Wednesday. EarthLink Live, 1374 W. Peachtree St., Midtown. 404-885-1365, www.earthlinklive.com.

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