Hanson Rocks Out On Rollins Campus
By Jami Furo
Published: Friday, October 28, 2005

On Friday, Oct. 21, musical group Hanson visited campus. The three brothers' trip included a WPRK interview, an impromptu performance, the showing of their new documentary, "Strong Enough to Break," and, of course, an interview with the Sandspur.

In the interview, the group discussed the projects they have been working on in the past few years, including their documentary. They made the documentary as a means of illuminating the public about the dangers for artists in the music industry.

For two years, Hanson was tossed around from record label to record label as a result of constant mergers. After a while, they found that, like many artists, they had a difficult time even keeping track of the label to which they belonged.

They found that one minute the record label loved their songs and the next minute they did not. The boys could not see the light at the end of the title, especially since record labels are typically run by business men and women rather than artists, who, according to Hanson, take into account what is best for the business rather than what is best for the art.

The group decided to end the cycle and form their own self-funded record label, allowing them to choose their own musical path. They recorded the album themselves, and Isaac Hanson engineered the album-a skill he says he learned both from experience and from being a "technical person" in general.

The group also says that the transition was easier because they started in the business young and have been recording records for most of their lives. They say that they have benefited from learning and experiencing the record business at young ages.

"The fact that we're brothers allowed for us to develop as artists at a much younger age," Taylor Hanson stated. He attributes this early experience in the recording industry to their ability to split off from Island-Def Jam to form their label, 3CG Records. "Strong Enough to Break," named for a song on Hanson's new album, "Underneath," tells the story of Hanson's rebirth in their new label and how that came about.

Another project that Hanson has spearheaded in their attempt to increase the presence of independent artists in the public's ears is a website called "Are You Listening?" (found at areyoulistening.com).

The intention of the website is to stimulate the ideas of creative thinking and independent creation that "Strong Enough to Break" supports and informs about. It is a forum for indie groups to get publicity and for people to hear their music, even though it has not been released through a major label. "[Are You Listening] is not just an artist community site, but a fan and artist community site," said Isaac Hanson.

He went on to say that it puts control back in the hands of the artists and the fans rather than the record label, and it allows artists to "organically" build a fan base. The message that Hanson wanted to express in their documentary and through other means is a story that many artists have experienced, and they want dialogues to start about it. The three men are young -- the same ages as many college students -- and they want to share their message with college students as peers and as lovers of music. "It's not about Hanson," Isaac explained.