By Persiana Cota
Contributing Writer
Photo: Dan Klores Communications


Hanson, which ended its Acoustic '03 tour at the prestigious Carnegie Hall November 5, is following the path of other established artists, such as Pear Jam and Ozzy Osborne, by recording and releasing its newest album, "Underneath," through its newly established recording label, 3CG Records.

"We're excited to be playing at Carnegie Hall," said Isaac Hanson in an interview early in October. "The history behind it is extraordinary, and we're excited to be potentially introducing our fans to that venue. It is an extraordinary way to close out what for us is a great acoustic tour."


Hanson consists of the brothers Isaac, 22, Taylor, 20, and Zac Hanson, 17. The band was introduced to the American audience with their smash hit "Mmmbop," the first single for their debut album, "Middle of Nowhere," released in 1997. This album grossed a reportedly $6.5M in the United States alone. Since then Hanson has also released "This Time Around" in 2000.

The Acoustic '03 tour, which originally began on August 9, showcases songs from Hanson's forthcoming album "Underneath" expected to be released this spring.

"This album has elements that will appeal to everyone, and I think "Underneath" is a noticeable progression for us," said Isaac Hanson "Creatively, we went in a lot of different places that we had not gone before. There is a certain intimacy and vulnerability which we really had not explored on previous records."

As musicians at a young age, the brothers feel that 3CG Records, which stands for three-car garage, will play an important part in removing any potential boundaries between them and the audience, allowing for more creative control and freedom.

"There is a certain symbolism for us about just being a garage band, being raw and un-fabricated, just as natural and in your most raw element. It really kind of symbolizes that if you can't really make it in a garage band in a farm, if you can't make it work in a garage then where are you going to make it work" said Isaac.

Isaac feels that the recent developments with the internet and MP3 are a positive step forward for the music industry since it allows for a more "spontaneous and visceral" response to music. "I think 3CG is a real opportunity for us to change and grow with the times," he said.

"It is important to establish a relationship of trust and honesty between you and the audience," he also said. "The audience needs to know that your records are worth their time; that you are not putting together some record with only a couple of good songs on it and that they can trust your band releases quality work. A key element in the future of artists is to never forget that if we start to make the audience second-guess us and feel that we are releasing a product that is not up to their expectations, the audience will eventually respond to that."

In addition to writing and performing their own songs, Isaac mentioned that in the future Hanson would like to share its passion for music by also collaborating with other artists in the aspects of music production and songwriting.

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