Hanson’s next album won’t come out until spring 2010, but that’s not keeping the sibling “MmmBop” trio from playing a bunch of new music for its fans on its current fall tour.
“We’ve tried since we started to not go more than a year without throwing something new to the fans,” said singer-keyboardist Taylor Hanson, 26. “So this (tour) is kind of a warm-up to the new record and … just being a touring band and staying active.”
Hanson said the new album, the group’s third for its own 3CG label, is finished but untitled at the moment. Recorded mostly at Sonic Ranch in Torrillo, Texas, the set was produced by the group, without any co-writers.
“In that light it’s kind of all-Hanson, all the time,” the middle brother said. “That wasn’t actually the plan initially; it just seemed like the right thing to do. We’re probably going to do the opposite of that for the next record.”
Taylor described the new material as “just a little more straight-ahead” than 2007’s “The Walk.” “There’s a different energy to a lot of the music for this new record. I think the last album was sort of, ‘We’re surviving. We’re chugging along.’ This one there’s more of a sense of, ‘We’ve survived. We’ve gotten this far. We’re still in one piece.’ There’s this sense of, ‘Wow, we’ve been doing this for awhile.’ It’s a little more energetic. There’s a freshness and excitement about it.”
Hanson will give fans a taste of the new material not only in concert but also via an EP, “Stand Up, Stand Up,” that will accompany the tour and features the fully produced album track “Worlds on Fire” plus acoustic versions of four songs — “These Walls,” “Use Me Up,” “Waiting For This” and “Carry You There.”
Hanson, Hellogoodbye, Steel Train and Sherwood perform 6:30 p.m. today at the Fillmore Detroit, 2115 Woodward Ave. Tickets are $35 and $25 with a $74 four-pack. Call (313) 961-5451 or visit www.livenation.com.
— Gary Graff