Hanson Make An Indie Return
(MusicPortal.com) (11/17/05)

Edited By Michael Bennett
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TULSA, OK, USA - In their 13 years playing together, Hanson have earned many accolades. They've been Grammy nominees, chart-toppers and Carnegie Hall headliners.

And after entering the Billboard Independent chart at #1 in April of 2004 with "Underneath," released on their own 3CG Records label, you can add to that list industry groundbreakers, with one of the most successful independently released records in music history.

Hanson brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac continue to demonstrate that evolution on "The Best Of Hanson Live And Electric," once again released on their own 3CG Records label.

The new release spotlights a band that has sold more than 15 million albums performing all their platinum-plus hits, as Entertainment Weekly put it, "newly energized as they kick out brawny guitar-rock jams," recorded live last June before an enthusiastic audience in Melbourne, Australia.

The disc includes new versions of the #1 smash 'MmmBop,' along with hits like 'Where's The Love,' 'If Only,' 'This Time Around,' 'I Will Come To You' and 'Penny And Me,' as well as bonus tracks like 'If Only' and 'A Song To Sing.'

Showing their versatility, the album also includes covers of Radiohead's 'Optimistic' and U2's 'In a Little While.' In addition, a limited edition CD/DVD version of "The Best Of Hanson Live And Electric" is also available with new live footage, the previously unreleased song 'Being Me,' various music videos, and a photo gallery among the bonus features.

The album's release last month coincided with the band's "Live And Electric Tour '05," a 24-date jaunt that shows a side of the band that has taken what the New York Post calls "talent and perseverance" to "brilliantly display what you can achieve."

Every ticket holder for the tour has received a free, limited edition "Live And Electric Tour '05" CD sampler, which is being distributed at each Hanson performance.

The current tour includes visits to local colleges, where the band commonly talk to students about their experiences in the music business, and especially their quest to succeed outside the consolidated corporate culture.

At each campus along the way, Hanson screen their self-produced documentary, "Strong Enough To Break," illustrating the current state of the music business, and why the band decided to set up their own record label.

At the conclusion, they hold Q&A sessions with the students.

"Our choice to become independent again was about our belief in the relationship between us and our fans," says Taylor Hanson. "We're passionate about the future of independent music."

Pointing to the success of their 3CG Records, the band looks to build a grass-roots community of artists, labels, promoters and fans to help bring independent music to the forefront.

"The future depends on the commitment and passion of musicians, fans and the industry to career artists," says Zac Hanson. "If we don't get involved, we only have ourselves to blame."

To demonstrate their allegiance to the Indie cause, Hanson have worked with local college radio stations and newspapers to sponsor a contest to select a developing band as its opening act in each tour market.

The success of "Underneath" was significant for Hanson for several reasons.

After a four-year absence, the band saw its fans enthusiastically embrace "Underneath," which bowed at #25 on the Billboard Top 200, and spawned a #2 single in the engaging lead track, 'Penny And Me.'

The single also debuted at #10 in the UK, where it was released by Indie label Cooking Vinyl, their first Top 10 single since their acclaimed debut.

But it was the #1 debut on the Independent charts that was most meaningful to the band. Said Denver's Westword: "Hanson is a real indie-rock band. They wrote, recorded, produced and released their own disc... and they're touring on their own dime."

As they did with "Underneath," the band completely financed the recording and marketing of "The Best Of Hanson Live And Electric." In addition, the group has a number of licensing deals around the world with leading indies like Cooking Vinyl (UK/EU), JVC (Japan) and Univision (Mexico).

The trio also inked a deal with Sony to release their recordings in Southeast Asia (where they recently had a #1 single) and Latin America.

The desire to go out on their own stemmed from the friction the band experienced in their dealings with former label Island Def Jam. After trying to make the relationship work despite their creative differences, Hanson decided it was time to move on.

"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,'" Isaac Hanson recalls. "'Look, the only way that we can have a career in music is to go with our gut, as we always have," adds drummer Zac.

As it has in the past, Hanson's collective instincts didn't let them down. It was the same drive and inspiration which led them to create "MMMBop," the work recently hailed as genius by Bono to CD:UK, and led the trio to Grammy nominations in 1998 for "Best New Artist, "Record Of The Year," and "Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals."

And the press is coming around, too. The New York Post praised them: "Hanson has established itself as a credible rock band whose best years and music are still to come."

Billboard chimed in with: "Underneath spotlights a more mature, melodic pop/rock Hanson... This newest effort is the group's most endearing."

Meanwhile, internationally, the London Times raved: "Hanson appear to have done the almost impossible jump... from teen poppers to credible rockers."

"The Best Of Hanson Live And Electric" furthers the case for the band as a powerful live outfit capable of a magical, transcendent connection with their fans. And it's for those followers, as well as themselves, Hanson ultimately makes music.

Since launching their Internet site, www.hanson.net, for the release of Middle of Nowhere in 1997, Hanson has been one of music's most interactive groups in maintaining communication with their fans around the world.

"There are so many people for us to reach again or re-touch base with, but every fan that we grab is one that we want to value more than we have ever before," keyboardist Taylor says.

"We have an opportunity not only to build a direct relationship with our fans, but also allow them to communicate with each other and create a powerful community."

"Our currency with our fans has always been trust and passion, and that relationship cements our future," said Zac Hanson in a recent interview with Reuters.

All three of the brothers believe that that is the best way to resuscitate an ailing music industry.

"When I look at the music industry the tipping point for reenergizing the excitement in music is so close, because we've reached such a low point, that all we can do is go up. Out of the ashes will come the passion, excitement, and reinvigoration. It all starts with connecting with a generation and having it be their own again," Taylor Hanson says.

"We want to bring people back to believing it's worth it to get invested again in music and artists."

To make sure fans get the message, the trio made guerilla appearances at multiple college campuses last Fall, including the University Of Southern California, New York City's Columbia University and Denver's Regis University, where they played acoustic performances and spoke out about striking out on their own outside the corporate system, a message the students took to heart.

"Our goal is to draw attention to the independent music scene, because one out of four records are on indie labels," Isaac Hanson explained to Westword on the band's visit to Regis University.

Hanson grabbed fans' attention with their straight-ahead, no-frills shows, d