Over two decades since they broke into the limelight, the Hanson brothers have no plans of slowing down anytime soon.
8/8Who Is Hanson?
Hanson is a music group made up of brothers Issac, Taylor, and Zac. The brothers started their journey into music, playing the keyboard. Eventually, two of the three brothers learned to play other instruments – Issac played the guitar, while Zac played the drums.
After mastering musical instruments, the brothers started recording covers of classic songs and original materials. Before long, the group had their first performance at the 1992 Mayfest Arts Festival, making it their first professional outing.
7/8Hanson Became Popular In The ’90s
Although the band had independently released two demo albums, Boomerang and MMMBop, before 1997, they only became a household name after their debut studio album, Middle of Nowhere. With over 10 million copies sold worldwide, the group’s first project was arguably one of the best-performing debut albums of the ’90s.
The album was so spectacular that it earned the group recognition from several awarding bodies, including Grammy nominations for Best New Artist, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
6/8Hanson’s Career Took A Dark Detour
The Hanson brothers ran into troubled waters when their record label Mercury Records completed a merger with Island Def Jam Records. The boy band had just released their second studio album when the merger happened This Time Around, making it a difficult time for the group.
After its release, the album performed poorly due to lack of promotional funds. The group went from bad to worse when funds for their tour were pulled, leaving the band to embark on a self-funded tour.
5/8Hanson Started An Independent Career
For years, the Hanson brothers struggled with the new record label. Their creative freedom was placed on hold, with executives from the Island Def Jam Records rejecting over 80 songs from the band, citing the lack of marketability in the demos.
After three years, the frustrated sibling group made a tough call to leave and start their independent label. In 2003, their decision birthed 3CG Records. Although it was victory at last for the group, they narrated their three years long ordeal in the 2005 documentary Strong Enough To Break.
4/8Hanson Kept Their Music Alive With Tours
When everything gave way, the sibling band ensured that they held firmly to connecting with their fans through tours. Throughout their career, the sibling band has gone on 18 tours, some within the United States and others outside the country’s shores.
In 2013, the band embarked on one of their best world tours, Anthem World Tour, to support their sixth studio album, Anthem. The tour began in the summer of 2013 and spanned 80 venues in America, Australia, and Europe.
3/8The 25th Anniversary of Hanson’s Middle Of Nowhere
To commemorate the release of their first studio album Middle Of Nowhere, Hanson announced the Middle Of Everywhere 25th anniversary world tour. “Making music together for 25 years is a milestone that we had to acknowledge, and what better way to do it than with an anniversary tour,” Taylor Hanson shared on the band’s website.
For the brothers, the anniversary celebration meant more than just celebrating over two decades of being in the industry; it was a celebration of the fans that stuck with them in those years.
2/8What Has Hanson Done Outside Music?
The brothers have a lot going on for them outside of music. In 2013, Hanson launched their beer brand: Mmmhops. It was birthed in partnership with craft beer company Mustang Brewing to honor their 21st anniversary. As it is in their nature to give back, the brothers donate a portion of their proceeds from beer sales to charity.
Aside from entrepreneurship, the brothers were the hosts of Fools Banquet, a songwriting workshop where invited musicians collaborate with the band on songwriting and recordings.
1/8Is Hanson Still Making Music?
Yes, the sibling boy band from the ’90s is still making music. It is raining colors for the group, as they released a new album Red Green Blue in May 2022. Unlike any of their projects, the RGB album was different, with each member of the group writing and producing their collection of songs.
To support the album, the brothers embarked on the Red Green Blue world tour across the US, Canada, Latin America, and Australia.