Ear Candy
Sep 14, 2005 |
By Nikki C.
Hanson has been on Ear Candy's most wanted list since they first struck it big back in 1997. And let me tell you, it was worth the wait.
Hanson is one of the few remaining members of a rare breed of rock music. Not only are all three members extremely talented musicians who continually provide highly energized performances, but they have also managed to remain very devoted to their fans, even after going multi-platinum. However, what really separates Hanson from the masses is their unconditional passion for their music. Whereas four years in the studio under a record label that didn't understand their music would have crushed most bands, Hanson found an alternative route. They broke free from Island Def Jam, formed their own independent record label and did what came naturally to them- created an unadulterated, 100% pure rock'n roll record.
I recently had a chance to speak with the Isaac about their tour, their music, and of course, their new record label.
E.C.: So you guys finally made the big leap and started your own record label. What was the defining factor, the last straw that made you realize that this was something you had to do?
Isaac Hanson: Oh wow, that's a good question. It's always hard to boil it down when you're making a decision like forming your own record company. I don't think it is ever one particular reason why, but if you could say that, I would say we felt like there are a lot of opportunities that are not being utilized in today's industry. And we felt like the best way for us to maintain our careers and continue to move forward and the best way to take control of those opportunities and seize them was to have our own record company. We felt like it was a freedom and a necessity that we needed. It also allows us to be much more free with content in a way that we couldn't have in the past.
E.C.: So you guys just finished your acoustic tour, and now you are getting ready to start your all electric tour. How do those two settings differ for you as a performer?
Isaac Hanson: Well the electric tour and the acoustic tour are very different. The acoustic show is just the three of us, we go out as a three piece, and the dynamics are different. It is a much more mellow show, there is a lot of varying arrangements of songs that we do. Obviously you don't play certain songs because they just don't work as acoustic songs. For example, the track "Look at You" which is on the recent live record that we are about to release in October, that's a very funky groove based song. You don't really play that one, that doesn't really make a lot of sense, I mean it would be really interesting if we thought about doing it acoustic, but its kind of a difficult one to pull off acoustically. Whereas other songs, like the song "Ain't no Sunshine" which is a cover of Bill Withers, that one is one that has been a pretty consistence piece of our acoustic set, which does not necessarily translate to the electric show. For me the dynamics is the biggest thing about the shows, the overall tone, you've got a much more mellow show with the acoustic show. You have much more kind of rock and aggressive show with the electric tour, and it just allows you to do a lot of things differently, more so than with the other setting.
E.C.: I love your idea of having a contest to determine your opening act. What types of acts are you actually looking for?
Isaac Hanson: Well we are not actually looking for any particular act. We are just looking for bands in those local markets, trying to give them opportunities to get in front of our fans and in front of just new faces and new ears. One of the coolest things about it is, that not only are we allowing them to open for us in their local market, but we are putting their music on the website which allows for them to be exposed to the entire community and the entire group of fans that visit our website on a regular basis. And not only from the United States but from around the world because we have a pretty substantial international contingent of fans that visit on a regular basis, especially because the website in the last year has actually begun to include even more foreign language content. So if you're, you know, a Spanish speaking Hanson fan or an Italian speaking Hanson fan there are ways you can access Italian language information and whatnot. But with regard to that, it just allows even more influx of new ears to get to hear these band's music. And the music that we are looking for, we are primarily looking at songs and if a band has something unique about them and can write a good song. That's just kind of always what you look for and so it applies to everybody no matter whether you're in an opening band contest or whether you're trying to get signed to a record company. Whatever it is, you try to put your best foot forward and we are hoping that we are going to find some really interesting music.
E.C.: If you had to categorize your music now, what would you call it?
Isaac Hanson: I've just always kind of liked the term "rock'n roll" because it's a very broad term. We've historically called it, you know, it's gone everywhere from "power pop" to "pop rock" to "singer-songwriter rock," I don't know. It could be any one of those depending on what song you are talking about. I think its harmony based rock really.
E.C.: What audience are you hoping that your new albums will appeal to?
Isaac Hanson: I try not to limit myself to an audience, I feel like there are a lot of people there out there that could be very motivated by the music that we make. Well first of all, I think music has to always appeal to your peers. Back in the days of Middle of Nowhere, it appealed to our peers, I was 16, Tay was 13, Zac was 11 years old, so a lot of our fans were that age, and it's still the case. Most of our fans are between the ages of 20 and 24 years old. It goes a little younger and it goes a little older in some cases, it just depends, but the average age is between 20 and 24 years old. So I would say, immediately, that people of that age are definitely going to find something that is appealing to them. I also would like it if it very much appealed to people who are older than that and people who are in high school. So it just depends on your musical tastes, I would say if you like anything from Maroon 5 to Crosby, Stills, and Nash you are going to like Hanson.
E.C.: I hear that you guys also have a documentary coming out soon. What do you want your fans, or potential fans, to learn about you all as artists from watching this documentary?
Isaac Hanson: Well most of what you are seeing in the documentary is the creative process, there is a lot of in depth song writing and recording stuff that goes on. It's 50% creative and 50% business, the business side of it is showing the potential hurdles and difficulties that exist in the music industry overall, but primarily in the music industry today. And what I think what I would like for people to walk away from with this documentary, viewing it, is understanding that making a record today is far more difficult and more convoluted than its ever been. But the music itself is larger and lifts beyond, lifts past all the stuff that we are hearing on the radio. I think most of what we want people to understand is that there is a lot of great music out there but it is very very hard for that music to get in front of fans these days. Even more so than its ever been because of the way that the music industry itself has evolved where there are less creative people in the industry and also because of the way that the radio industry has evolved where there is less music being played as an overall rule. I know everybody that I talk to who is my age is frustrated with the situation of radio and feels like they are not represented very well, with the play lists and what not. So I think that is in an effort to try to encourage fans to get more involved in the music scene, and go out and search out music
