Not only do they have millions of devoted fans across the globe, they're also budding CEOs of a record company--and they're all under 25! Get to know the awesome threesome, and be inspired to aim and dream big!


It's hard not to write an article about Hanson without mentioning or making a reference to MMMBop. After all, it was this catchy, Motown-inspired ditty that not only made the pre-pubescent brothers from Tulsa, Oklahoma household names, but earned them Grammy nominations, critical acclaim and multi-platinum success, which translates into millions of dollars earned. All these happened when Isaac Hanson, the eldest in the group and among his siblings, was only 16.

"MMMBop was a big part of who Hanson is now, and we don't deny this," says Isaac. "We still play it in most of our shows, and it makes me happy to see the positive response and the energy that comes from the fans when we play it." Honestly, it is refreshing to hear this: most entertainers would shun their older songs, refusing to play them since they've "grown up as artists."

The thing about Isaac, now 23, and his siblings Taylor, 21, and Zac, 18, is that they don't have to prove to their audience that they've grown; we've witnessed it ourselves. It seems like the Hansons were born with music in their veins. Back in 1990, a nine-year old Isaac wrote his first song, and soon after, his brothers followed suit. "I guess it came naturally to me, since I always had a thing for banging on stuff," Zac narrates in between sips of his Starbucks iced latte. That day, the blond prodigies were in ABS-CBN, getting ready for the next interview with MYX VJ Iya Villania (who, incidentally, would be opening for their concert at the Aliw Theater later that day). It was hard not to stare at the band as they chatted about coffee. The years (and the haircuts) did them well.

Indie Roots
In 1995, the brothers were able to produce and release their first independent record Boomerang, followed by MMMBop in 1996. After a string of wildy successful albums under Mercury Records (Middle of Nowhere, Snowed In, 3 Car Garage, Live from Albertane and This Time Around), the business-minded boys turned back to their independent roots and invested their hard-earned (and well-earned) cash in a studio and their own label, 3CG Records. "The decision to take on being the head of a record company is a big one, because being a musician takes up every bit of your life," Taylor says. "Plus, as musicians, we're flaky, so it makes everything more complicated," teases Isaac. Zac emphasizes, "It's a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week job, being a musician--but it's really exciting. It takes a propensity for being totally out of your mind to wanna do it, 'coz you have to be the artist and be the businessperson at the same time, not just understand it but literally run the company, keep people in check and keep the machine running. But it's exciting because it's an opportunity to truly harness everything you're doing and really propel the message you wanna out out there forward. We took risks, and hopefully we become innovators and reap the benefits in both aspects."

They spent $1.5 million producing and distributing Underneath, which was released last summer. (Yam's NOTE: Summer in the Philippines, last May 2004) Hanson concocted a brilliant marketing plan to spread the word about the latest project. "We played acoustic shows and went on tour for a year before the release of the album in the United States and across Europe. It's just kind of taking on the whole mindset of how we bring this music in the right way, especially when there's been such a gap," Zac says, pertaining to the four years it took them to come up with Underneath. "The exciting thing is that there won't be as big gaps anymore, four years and two records," Isaac quips. "We're recording for the new one, and it'll be released soon, at least sooner than the last one."

If Underneath is an indication of things to come, then the next album is something to look forward to. Hanson worked with veteran musicians Greeg Alexander, formerly of the New Radicals, for the single Lost Without Each Other, and The Thorns' Matthew Sweet for the haunting title track. Old friend Sam Farrar of Phantom Planet played bass on some tracks, while Michelle Branch, who was a huge fan of the boys (she was even a member of their official website, Hanson.net, and was discovered while she was on tour wit them) lends her vocals to Deeper. "Having your friends and people whose music you admire come in and be part of what you're doing is great, the collaborative effort is something that should be there in music, and we try to push it as much as we can," muses Zac. Who can we expect to hear in the next CD? "There are a couple of very, very independent artists whom we're very excited about like David Garza, who's really amazing. He actually played on Underneath, and he'll probably play again on our next record," Isaac says. Taylor then gets very passionate about the topic. "Helping to support artists and expose music is such a huge thing for us." Eventually they will be signing other artists to their label. "We're not sticking to one kind of music--it could be rap, country, rock, whatever. We definitely are opening our ears to everything.

Regular Guys
Seven years after their debut and literally going through puberty in the public eye, it would be easy to dimiss the brothers as stuck-up superstars, but this was hardly the case. In their recent trip to Manila for a one-night concert, we were lucky enough to hang out with them, and there were no bogus requests for a bag full of green M&Ms or a certain brand of mineral water. Isaac, Taylor and Zac were as reasonable as young celebrity millionaires can get. They would incessantly torment each other, especially Isaac and Zac, who are now roommates in their 4,000sq.ft loft in the trendy neighborhood of TriBeCa in Manhattan.

Isaac, or Ike to his family and friends, would shoot witty one-liners in most of the interviews. "I look normal on the outside, but I'm kinda crazy on the inside. I'm probably the most likely to get myself into trouble." His brothers furiously nodded in agreement. "He's most likely to be featured on Behind the Music," Taylor snickered. Zac elbowed Isaac and added, "He's most likely to wake up in a pool of his own vomit and be like, 'Where am I?'" The self-proclaimed closet rebel's style is very Queer Eye, sporting the shortest haircut of the bunch (which will be reduced to a buzz cut by the time the concert starts) and a goatee. He was wearing a stylish black pinstriped jacket, perfectly tailored to fit his athletic frame, a black button down shirt, casual khakis and black Converse Chuck Taylors. "I try to be frugal, but Paul Smith suits aren't exactly that cheap."

Taylor, who has traded in his shoulder-length locks for a shorter cut that reaches his chin, was decked in a blue deconstructed blazer, a blue-gray T-shirt, jeans and beige sneakers. The lead singer seemed to contradict his rock star status. The most cautious among the bunch, he kept to himself most of the time, yet was the most accommodating when it came to dealing with the fans. Too nice in fact; the poor guy was mobbed by dozens of girls who waited until Hanson left the concert venue. Isaac and Zac were able to rush to the van quickly, but Taylor, who stayed behind to sign some last-minute autographs, got his hair pulled and almost fell down in the middle of the crowd. Fortunately he was not seriously hurt. "At the end, it's always about pleasing your fans," he commented earlier that day.

Even with the constant female adulation, Taylor remains a faithful husband to Natalie Ann Bryant, a 20-year old model and honor student from Georgia, who has his high school sweetheart. They met through fellow model Kate Tucker, who used to date Isaac and is Natalie's best friend. They were married in June of 2002 and now proud parents of baby Jordan Ezra. You should have seen the dot