(Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images)
Hanson, who will be coming to Orlando for a MIX 105.1 All Access Lounge performance on April 26th (click here to register to win your way in), spoke with Scott McKenzie and the Morning MIX this morning about their upcoming album Anthem. And since the guys are no strangers to the miracle of childbirth (the brothers have 9 children collectively), relating the release of a new album to giving birth only seemed natural.
“There comes a time in your touring cycle where you’ve been working whatever your record has been for some time and everyone says, ‘Yeah…new record,’” Taylor revealed when talking about the decision to put together a new album.
“I’m just sitting here trying to think of a pregnancy analogy,” the father of five then said, “where it’s like, ‘How do you know when it’s time to make a new record?’ Like, when your water breaks?”
“Said like a guy who has kids,” Isaac quickly chimed in. “Everyone else is like, ‘Ooooo…gross!’”
But pregnancy wasn’t the only analogy on the guys’ minds. Photography buffs as well, that came into play as they also spoke about putting together new music for an album.
“There’s a million ways to take a good picture. People that are novice can take a good picture, but the defining difference of a great photographer is he’s really focusing on capturing those moments and framing the subject and really painting a picture that is bigger than simply the quality of the photo,” Taylor elaborated. “There’s a lot of people that can buy gear…it’s another thing to know how to really maximize it and use it.”
But what does that have to do with songwriting? “A great song should be good recorded many different ways and I think that’s probably the most important thing,” Taylor explained.
The first single from Anthem, “Get The Girl Back,” has a very distinct 60s soul sound to it, and that’s no fluke. “It’s been a huge inspiration for us from the very beginning, early 60s R&B, Motown, you know, soul music,” Isaac said. “It was always a huge influence on us.” And that style of music worked as a good bridge for the band in transitioning from their last album, Shout It Out, to the more rock-based, anthemic feel of Anthem.
Make sure to listen to MIX 105.1 next week for other opportunities to win your way in to the MIX 105.1 All Access Lounge with Hanson.