Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson consider it a “huge honour” that they’re still touring and making records 30 years after deciding to form a band as young children.
Their continued success is testament to their talent and strong family bonds – and hugely dedicated fan base around the world.
Now adults – they are 42, 39 and 37 – the brothers have been in Australia performing to sell-out crowds with their newest album, Red Green Blue.
(L-R) Taylor Hanson, Zac Hanson and Isaac Hanson during the 2022 Red Green Blue tour. (Instagram/Hanson)“For us we have our story, many albums, many tours, but we see people in their lives,” Taylor tells 9Honey during a sit-down interview in Sydney mid-way through the tour.
He calls the relationship between them and their audiences, whether it be younger crowds only now discovering their music, or long-time fans who are reconnecting with the band, as “amazing… it is a two-way street”.
“This is what is so awesome about music, it reaches people. It’s a huge honour.”
They were last in Australia in 2019 and are enjoying being back after the pandemic brought the world to a halt.
“We’re all kind of making up for lost time after COVID,” Taylor says.
Zac adds: “It makes it feel particularly special right now.”
Hanson are rare in the music business for their longevity, having survived finding unprecedented fame as children to come out on the other side as adult musicians still doing what they love.
For those who may only remember Hanson for their megahit MMMBop, released in 1997, they’ve had an incredibly busy three decades since.
They founded the band in 1992 at ages 11, nine and six and their major label debut, Middle Of Nowhere, earned the brothers three Grammy nominations and five consecutive top 40 singles, including Where’s The Love, I Will Come To You and Weird.
The first single off that album was MMMBop and introduced them to people all over the world and went to number one in 27 countries.
Since then, Hanson has released six more studio albums, two Christmas albums and five live projects, selling 16 million albums all while touring and raising families.
Between the three brothers, they have 15 children. Isaac is a father of three, Taylor has seven children and Zac has five.
“Trying to keep everybody happy is the first thing you need to let go of when balancing lots of children and family and business,” Taylor says.
“You do what you can control and with us, obviously touring and travelling is something that we know well.
“And with your relationships, you kind of have to have some understanding [saying] ‘OK, it’s about to get weird, I’m going to be gone for a while, buckle in’.”
Isaac, laughing, says: “I think there’s a little bit of a misnomer or a delusion that there is balance.
“I don’t think there is such a thing. I think what you have to do is treat every moment like it’s valuable. And if you treat every moment like it’s valuable then you’ll react appropriately to the circumstances.”
Referring to their large family and becoming a dad, he adds: “In a lot of ways, I don’t think you’re ever really ready for that. Even if you think you’re prepared [puts on serious voice] ‘We’re ready to have children’ it’s going to be different than you expected.”
Zac adds, laughing, “That kid’s going to get really screwed up”.
But Isaac, being the older and wiser brother, says it’s about choosing your priorities.
“I think you have to chase, in some sense, the best version of yourself and not be afraid of things.
“And if you’re not afraid of things, you’re not afraid of being invested in both your family and your career, if you’re not afraid of the challenges that will come from that then you will live your life as fully as you possibly can and I think that is what actually creates the balance is being like ‘you know what, I am here 100 per cent right now’.”
“For us we have our story, many albums, many tours, but we see people in their lives,” Taylor tells 9Honey during a sit-down interview in Sydney mid-way through the tour.
He calls the relationship between them and their audiences, whether it be younger crowds only now discovering their music, or long-time fans who are reconnecting with the band, as “amazing… it is a two-way street”.
“This is what is so awesome about music, it reaches people. It’s a huge honour.”
They were last in Australia in 2019 and are enjoying being back after the pandemic brought the world to a halt.
“We’re all kind of making up for lost time after COVID,” Taylor says.
Zac adds: “It makes it feel particularly special right now.”
Hanson are rare in the music business for their longevity, having survived finding unprecedented fame as children to come out on the other side as adult musicians still doing what they love.
For those who may only remember Hanson for their megahit MMMBop, released in 1997, they’ve had an incredibly busy three decades since.
They founded the band in 1992 at ages 11, nine and six and their major label debut, Middle Of Nowhere, earned the brothers three Grammy nominations and five consecutive top 40 singles, including Where’s The Love, I Will Come To You and Weird.
The first single off that album was MMMBop and introduced them to people all over the world and went to number one in 27 countries.
Since then, Hanson has released six more studio albums, two Christmas albums and five live projects, selling 16 million albums all while touring and raising families.
Between the three brothers, they have 15 children. Isaac is a father of three, Taylor has seven children and Zac has five.
“Trying to keep everybody happy is the first thing you need to let go of when balancing lots of children and family and business,” Taylor says.
“You do what you can control and with us, obviously touring and travelling is something that we know well.
“And with your relationships, you kind of have to have some understanding [saying] ‘OK, it’s about to get weird, I’m going to be gone for a while, buckle in’.”
Isaac, laughing, says: “I think there’s a little bit of a misnomer or a delusion that there is balance.
“I don’t think there is such a thing. I think what you have to do is treat every moment like it’s valuable. And if you treat every moment like it’s valuable then you’ll react appropriately to the circumstances.”
Referring to their large family and becoming a dad, he adds: “In a lot of ways, I don’t think you’re ever really ready for that. Even if you think you’re prepared [puts on serious voice] ‘We’re ready to have children’ it’s going to be different than you expected.”
Zac adds, laughing, “That kid’s going to get really screwed up”.
But Isaac, being the older and wiser brother, says it’s about choosing your priorities.
“I think you have to chase, in some sense, the best version of yourself and not be afraid of things.
“And if you’re not afraid of things, you’re not afraid of being invested in both your family and your career, if you’re not afraid of the challenges that will come from that then you will live your life as fully as you possibly can and I think that is what actually creates the balance is being like ‘you know what, I am here 100 per cent right now’.”