Mmmback kids

For ageing teen idols life can be tough. Bands that have enjoyed huge success in their early years find that their fans quickly grow up, leaving them with the option of selling fewer and fewer records or splitting up.

Or they could follow Hanson's lead and go in a new direction altogether.

The Stateside trio first came to our notice when they hit the top spot in 1997 with the catchy Mmmbop. Follow-ups Where's The Love and I Will Come To You also entered the top five that year.

But as early as 1998 the writing seemed to be on the wall with Weird and Thinking Of You hovering around the lower reaches of the Top 20.

The brothers began thinking of going their own way, deciding it would be better to move on from the Island/Def Jam label.

"After a certain point, we said, 'We can't do this anymore. This is not productive and we know where we need to go with this'," recalls 24-year-old Isaac.

"We said, 'Look, the only way that we can have a career in music is to go with our gut feeling, as we always have'," adds drummer Zac, aged 19.

Not a family to take half measures, Isaac, Zac and 22-year-old keyboardist Taylor wrote, recorded, produced and issued on their own 3CG Record label their latest album, Underneath.

Their move into indie-rock was rewarded with a No. 1 on America's Billboard Independent Chart and the news that Underneath is one of the most successful self-released records in history.

"We set as a goal to have a top five debut and it debuted at number one. You can't ask for more than that," Isaac says.

The trio are also keen to be seen as a credible live act. A whirlwind world tour saw them perform in 25 cities across 13 countries. They play Birmingham's Carling Academy tonight.

Isaac admits: "About two and a half weeks ago I was more tired than I've ever been in my life but all the travelling has been made worth it by the response we've received wherever we've been."

Caption: ALL GROWN UP: Band of brothers Hanson are finally following up their 1997 debut, which featured the No. 1 Mmmbop