SOME MAY have already dismissed the American pop rock band Hanson as a “one-hit wonder,” but it is out to prove there is more to them than the phenomenal single “MMMBop,” released almost two decades ago.
Now all grown-up, the band — composed of brothers Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson — returns to the Philippines for a concert tonight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The concert is part of Hanson’s world tour to promote its latest studio album, Shout It Out, which was first released in the US two years ago.
Shout It Out is a collection of R&B-flavored pop-rock tunes, seen as a homage to the American rock and roll music that inspired the brothers when were starting out in the early 1990s.
“The anatomy of our band is similar to a ’70s rock band — white guys from the Midwest who grew up listening to ’50s and ’60s soul, who are mixing guitars with vintage keys and melodic songs,” said Taylor Hanson in a statement furnished by local concert producer, Dayly Entertainment.
Isaac Hanson added: “What we’ve never stopped aspiring to is the great songwriters and performers who struck a chord with us first, that early rock and roll and soul music from Chuck Berry to Otis Redding. We’ve rediscovered that aspiration on this record. There’s a little more swing and a little more air.”
While Shout It Out looks back in time musically, the album represents forward movement for Hanson. “We love playing classic songs,” said Zac Hanson. “But we never sat down and wrote our version of what that sounds like until now.”
Shout It Out showcases not only the music of Hanson, but also many aspects that have allowed the band to survive and stay relevant amid the ever-changing global music industry landscape.
“The album is about being alive, and the contrasts we are faced with,” Taylor Hanson said. “We’ve come from a generation leaving the analog world and moving into an interconnected culture at risk of forgetting where it came from. This album tries to put together those pieces, but with a bit of melody to back it up.”
While the album draws inspiration from the past, Hanson is looking forward to an exciting new era for the band.
The band’s seemingly insatiable desire to innovate with technology (seen in their plans to incorporate mobile live video streaming of their concerts via the Internet) is building an even stronger connection with their fans.
Formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Hanson has been making music for nearly two decades. In 1997, the release of the brothers’ first major label album, Middle of Nowhere, introduced their out-of-the-blue, soul-inspired brand of pop rock to the world.
The album sold over 10 million copies worldwide, and earned the band three Grammy nominations (which made Zac — who was then just 12 years old — the youngest nominated songwriter in Grammy history to date).
The band is best known for the phenomenal hit single “MMMBop,” which reached No. 1 in 27 countries worldwide, including the Philippines.
The band’s other hits from the same album include “Where’s The Love,” “I Will Come To You,” and “Weird.”
Hanson released a Christmas album, Snowed In, in 1997, and another studio album in 2000, This Time Around.
After the brothers formed their own record company called 3CG Records in 2003, they released Underneath, which includes the singles “Penny & Me” and “Lost Without Each Other.”
Their decision to work outside the big record companies paid off, building a Hanson brand that has grown with successful independent albums, singles, and tours.
Alongside their musical careers, the brothers have championed the fight against HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.
The eldest, Isaac, was 17 when Hanson started out. He is now 31 years old, and has been married for five years. He has two sons.
Taylor, who was just 14 when “MMMBop” became a huge hit, is now 28. He has been married for almost 10 years and has four children.
Zac is now 26, married since 2006, and has two children.
Tickets for Hanson Shout It Out World Tour 2012 cost P4,770; P3,710; P3,180; P2,650; P1,590 and P530. Call Ticketnet at 911-5555 for details.