Oldest Hanson dishes about album, OSU appearance

Natalie Wright
Contributing Entertainment Writer

The Daily O’Collegian chatted with Isaac Hanson, the oldest brother of Hanson, in a phone interview Monday. He spoke about the band’s albums, record label and documentary screening, which is tonight at 7 in the Student Union Little Theater.



The Daily O’Collegian: I understand that the documentary won’t be available until spring 2005. What made you decide to preview the documentary on a college tour?

Isaac Hanson: The documentary definitely won’t be available until sometime next year. The reason we are screening it at colleges and at OSU is because we feel like it is a really good place to open up conversation about the music industry. People are looking at their lives and trying to decide what they want to do as a career and so on. For us, it’s an opportunity to make contact with a really active group of fans and talk about the state of the music industry and what they can do to help support great music and where they can find great music.



TDO: Essentially, what is the documentary about?

IH: Essentially, the documentary is about our process in making our new CD, “Underneath.” It’s about the choice we made to start our own record company. It outlines the entire timeline from 2001 to 2005. It shows the process we went through for the past four and half years and what it takes to make a record.



TDO: Now that you guys have become independent artists do you feel like you have experienced more creative freedom?

IH: We’ve always maintained creative freedom. “Middle of Nowhere” has as much freedom as much as “Underneath.” “Underneath” is an evolution. The music is always changing a little bit. Evolving is very, very important in the course of our career.



TDO: Are you guys bringing copies of the new album, “The Best of Live and Electric,” to be purchased?

IH: We have no plans to bring the live discs. However, to people who come to the screening and fill out a very brief questionnaire (it’s only eight to 10 questions), we are giving away a free copy of Underneath.



TDO: What else can attendees expect from the screening?

IH: Hopefully, at least one or two decent jokes and hopefully an entertaining film. The response that we have to the film so far has been unanimously and overwhelming positive.



TDO: How does your new live album compare to your last live album, “Live from Albertane?”

IH: I would say they are very different.

I would say this album is called “The Best of Hanson Live and Electric” for a reason. The best of reference is about the fact that the record is spanning the entire course of the band’s career. It’s really giving people a taste of stuff they know and stuff that they know and can enjoy, and also stuff that they don’t know. And really it’s the best of the repertoire. It’s really showing people everything from “Mmmbop” to “Where’s the Love” to “Underneath” to “Penny and Me” to anything in between to the random cover of “Optimistic” by Radiohead.



TDO: Hanson is now an independent rock band. Are there any indie rock artists you’ve been listening to lately?

IH: I like some of the Arcade Fire stuff and some of the Sufjan Stephen stuff. I like Hero Factor. I know those guys — they’re from Oklahoma. Also, Bob Schneider — his latest record, “I’m Good Now,” is really great.



TDO: I understand that you guys are providing independent college musicians with the opportunity to compete for a spot as opening act on each date of your tour. Would you consider signing such independent musicians to your label?

IH: We are considering signing other bands to our label. Part of this whole opening band contest will potentially allow us to see bands that we wouldn’t see otherwise. We are excited about the contest for a number of reasons. We are going to be able to expose people to local music. Music that they may or may not know about that is from their hometown. We are also going to give these bands an opportunity that they would never have, which is not only getting in front of thousands of people at a show but also hopefully in front of hundreds of thousands of people around the world on the Web. The music is going to be posted on our Web site. Anyone around the world can listen and vote and be involved in that.