Hanson Drops Catchy New Single “Only Love” as a Traveling Anthem

By | July 2, 2021
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American Songwriter 

Ever since the early ’90s, Hanson has been an impressive force on the pop-rock scene. From producing their international hit “MMMBop” to competing in season five of The Masked Singer, it would appear that this band of brothers has done it all. Yet, their most recent project signals to Hanson fans that the cup of creativity still runneth over for the trio.

For their seventh studio album, Hanson is premiering each of the seven songs on the record, individually. “Annalie” and “Don’t Ever Change” have already made their debut, and today (July 2) the sweet and snappy “Only Love” premieres. American Songwriter recently sat down with Isaac Hanson, lead guitarist and bassist, to discuss the band’s latest single.

“This song is a really interesting, one because the song is all about the verses,” Hanson says, “because the chorus is a very simple thought— the chorus lyric is Only love is gonna save us now / Only love is gonna save us. I really struggled with that lyric as we were all working through the song, singing it over and over again… we completely finished recording the song and then had to change it because something just wasn’t quite right. It was because of the simplicity of the statements.”

Hanson continues to explain that the paradox the band faced was between the simplicity of the chorus and the complexity of love. “Love is probably one of the most complicated words in the English language because it has so many different contextual meanings or synonyms,” he says. “Love is often used in context to mean things like mercy or forgiveness or humility or sacrifice. The word does mean all of those things.”

The solution to the band’s conundrum was to add a tag after each verse to marry the chorus and verses together. The tag essentially clarifies the chorus and sets “Only Love” apart from the modesty of other love-centered tracks.

Walking back their creative process a step farther, Hanson explained that the song emerged from a single guitar riff, which launched the band into “Only Love.” That one sonic moment of inspiration became the driving force for the track, and opened up the song to new possibilities. When adding words to these movements, the band sang about a man leaving his family to chase a romantic interest. “So really, it was always a traveling song. It was always a moving song. It was always going somewhere on a search for an unknown destination,” he clarifies.

As a traveling song, “Only Love” has a particular flair for intense emotion and instrumental pairings. Yet, the track is also unassuming as it picks the listener up for a ride down the metaphorical highway. These freeing vibes are reminiscent of John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen intermingled with moments of Chris Stapleton, Hanson muses.

Overall, “Only Love” is a unique track that tells a story both lyrically and sonically. Listen below and watch the premiere of “Only Love”’s music video, which visually captures the band’s vision of a winding anthem for someone on the move.

HANSON RELEASE NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO, “ONLY LOVE”

By | July 2, 2021
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ONLY LOVE
THIRD OF SEVEN CONSECUTIVE MONTHLY SINGLES
FROM NEW STUDIO ALBUM, AGAINST THE WORLD

2021 CONCERT SERIES BEGINS TONIGHT;
LIVESTREAM AND IN PERSON TICKETS ON SALE NOW

HANSON release the third single from Against The World, their new project being rolled out throughout 2021 over seven months, one single at a time. “Only Love,” featuring the signature gospel inspired Americana of Isaac Hanson on lead vocals is available today on all digital platforms. The song’s official music video was premiered earlier today via American Songwriter.

““Only Love” talks about how we’re are all broken souls in one way or another, and need love and forgiveness constantly in our lives,” said Isaac Hanson. “The lyrics talk about how each of us ‘know all too well my demons and broken dreams’, and ‘get bogged down in self doubt’. These feelings are ones we all know and it is love, sacrifice and forgiveness that heals those wounds.”

WATCH “ONLY LOVE”

Against The World was announced in May with the release of the debut single and video, “Annalie”, followed by “Don’t Ever Change” in June with guest performance by Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductee Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick. The project will continue to usher in a stream of new content including music videos for each of the seven tracks and a summer concert series, offering both livestream and limited in-person tickets. Full schedule below.

PURCHASE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES TICKETS

The concert series, beginning tonight, featuring both in person and livestream tickets, will take place from July – October at the legendary Cain’s Ballroom in the band’s hometown of Tulsa, OK. Along with the live debut of the latest singles from Against The World, each show will be unique, highlighting different eras of the band’s career. The concerts will also serve as a primer for HANSON’s 2022 world tour, which will go on sale this fall.

The songs for Against The World were recorded at the legendary FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, AL, and bring together a series of new sounds that build on the band’s history. The project is deeply rooted in American soul and rock ‘n’ roll, as well as HANSON’s longevity as songwriters and performers who have continued to mine their origins while propelling their music forward.

HANSON are a multi-platinum three-time Grammy-nominated pop-rock trio, with nearly 30 years performing together, selling over 16 million albums, and performing concerts to over 3 million fans. Founded in Tulsa, OK in 1992, the band established a regional following before making a meteoric rise to international fame with their major-label debut, Middle Of Nowhere, lead by the ubiquitous single “MmmBop,” which was a #1 single in 27 countries simultaneously. During their 29 years performing together, they have garnered a string of consecutive top 40 singles, seven studio albums, two Christmas albums, and five live releases. The band founded their independent record label in 2003, a story which was chronicled in their acclaimed documentary Strong Enough To Break, a critical step in the band’s ability to maintain their coveted connection with their global fanbase. 2017 marked the band’s 25th Anniversary Middle of Everywhere Best Of release and world tour, featuring the new single “I Was Born”, followed by 2018’s String Theory symphonic album, which saw the band perform alongside leading symphonies in some of the world’s most prestigious venues on the accompanying tour. In addition to their musical endeavors, in 2007 HANSON launched their Take The Walk grassroots campaign to provide poverty and HIV/AIDS relief in Africa. In 2013, they launched HANSON Brothers Beer, premiering their new venture with a signature Pale Ale, Mmmhops, and in 2014, they launched the Hop Jam Beer and Music Festival in Tulsa OK, which is among the largest craft beer and music events in the country.

2021 SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

JULY 2 – 3 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
AUGUST 6 – 7 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
SEPTEMBER 3 – 4 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom
OCTOBER 1 – 2 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom

For more information, visit: www.Hanson.net

Hanson revisiting discography, introducing new album during Cain’s Ballroom concert series

By | July 1, 2021
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Tulsa World

HANSON
Tom Gilbert TULSA WORLD

 

Pop culture “world” history:

1872: Jules Verne gave us “Around the World in 80 Days.”

2021: Hanson is giving you “Against the World” in eight days spread out over four months.

It would be darn near impossible for a veteran music artist or group to deliver its entire discography to an audience in one show. How long, exactly, might that show last?

Instead, Hanson will perform its discography in installments during an eight-show summer concert series at Cain’s Ballroom that launches Friday, July 2 and continues, two shows per month, through October.

The shows are sort of a concert version of a double feature.

During the first six shows, Hanson will perform songs from the group’s new album (“Against the World”) plus material from one past album. For instance, the inaugural show will be “Against the World” plus material from “Middle of Nowhere,” the multi-platinum 1997 album that Mmm-bopped Hanson into stardom.

The next show — Saturday, July 3 — will again be “Against the World” plus the next chronological album in Hanson’s discography, and so on and so forth at subsequent shows until the group has revisited its entire body of work.

The final two shows in the series will vary in that the format will be “Against the World” plus a listeners’ choice set list to be determined via fan feedback on social media and hanson.net.

Taylor Hanson, one of three brothers in the group, said he doesn’t think anyone has approached a series of shows exactly this way. Asked how the idea came about, he said everyone has been looking at creative ways to engage audiences as we come out of the pandemic.

“We definitely were grateful for what we were able to do last year,” he said. “Once we were able to do limited in-person and streaming shows, we saw a lot of engagement from fans. And so, as we looked to roll out new music, we knew that the full in-person tour where we get to go to cities all over the world, that was still a little ways away, but we didn’t want to wait to put out new music.”

Hanson wanted to find a way to introduce music to fans progressively (singles from “Against the World” are premiering monthly) and to make sure every show in the concert series, whether experienced in-person or via streaming, feels like a robust, unique experience. That combination of factors sparked the series.

Said Taylor: “One of the things that’s interesting about where we are in our career arc is we have now put out enough albums and been in the marketplace for enough years that there is no one concert that can ever encapsulate all the work. … Especially six or seven albums in and many decades in, you really have a wealth of things that don’t get included in most concerts. More than anything, these shows are a reflection of us looking for ways to make people feel part of a bigger story and make people feel excitement that, every night, they are going to see something that is a little different.”

Taylor doesn’t want to make promises Hanson can’t keep. He’s not going to climb out on a limb and say the group will perform every song from every album. Instead: “We are approaching each show with the intention to play as much from each album as we can and really create a live experience that takes people through that record.”

Taylor said Hanson is excited to share the new album and excited to have new things to say that are original. He said there is “weight” to the group of songs on the album.

“The first two songs we have started with are the lightest of the entire album, so people will begin to feel the sense of what ‘Up Against the World’ means and what it’s about — that idea of kind of overcoming obstacles and sort of finding solace in sometimes feeling like the underdog and feeling like you are up against challenges and finding a way through it.

“I think there are a lot of themes that seem as if they were written during the 18 months we have all lived through, but they were originally envisioned before it all began. I think it’s kind of cool that these songs are now coming out as we are all coming through one of the more difficult times in a lot of our lifetimes and re-imagining what the future will be.”

One track on the album features guest work by a guitar hero. Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen plays on “Don’t Ever Change.” Awesome, right?

“It is pretty awesome,” Taylor said. “We have gotten to get to know a lot of our heroes and he is definitely one of them. He is an amazing guitarist and continues to deliver great music. If you listen to that song, undeniably we are pulling from some inspiration of the power pop gods, so to have one of them — to have Rick Nielsen play — is just a total treat.”

Asked if any Cheap Trick songs are personal faves, Taylor said, “I’m actually going to say something more looking forward. I think their new record (‘In Another World’) is really great.”

Taylor specifically mentioned a track titled “Quit Waking Me Up.” He said he and Nielsen spent time talking about each other’s records last week.

“One of the great gifts of being an artist and being a musician is when you get to still be a fan and have people that you admire kind of reciprocate that,” Taylor said. “It was a lot of fun to do and hopefully we’ll get to (play that song) on stage together at some point.”

Hanson’s commute for the summer concert series could be made on foot, if the guys feel like it. Hanson’s HQ (3GC Records) is located at 209 N. Main St. Cain’s Ballroom is at 423 N. Main St. Hanson performed limited attendance and streamed shows at the historic venue in 2020.

“We know that stage well,” Taylor said. “We know how the audience feels in that room. We’re just excited to see people feel safe and feel ready to come out to a rock and roll show again. At this point, wherever that stage is, we’re excited to be on it.”

Taylor, asked if he still feels “ghosts” in the room at Cain’s, said, “Buildings have a character and a good vibe or they carry negative vibes, too. Every time we come into Cain’s I feel the ghosts of the good things that have happened there.”

Today, Cain’s. Soon, the world? Stay tuned for details about a world tour that will follow the summer concert series.

“These shows, just like the album, are releasing in a kind of a building format,” Taylor said. “It’s building up. Each month it’s growing. One of the things it will be building towards is the announcement of the actual world tour that will take us on a big lap in 2022, so we’re looking forward to that.”

 

This Time Around Song Stats

By | June 28, 2021
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The second of the Summer Concert Series of “Against the World +” will feature select songs from Hanson’s sophomore album, fan favorite This Time Around. The most played tracks from this album are of course the singles – This Time Around and If Only. The more rare tracks from this album to be played live are Sure About It, Love Song and Save Me.  Which album tracks do you think will make the cut?  This album also had several B-Sides that are known to show up in setlists every now and then – Lonely Again, I Don’t Know and Smile.  Which would you like to hear the most?  And then of course there is the unreleased track, Bridges of Stone.  It has been played live a baker’s dozen times and was also on the setlist for the TTA Acoustic show in May as part of the encore and was skipped.  Do you think it may make it onto the July 3rd setlist?

You Never Know – 224
If Only – 627
This Time Around – 695
Runaway Run – 270
Save Me – 104
Dying To Be Alive – 56
Can’t Stop – 212
Wish That I Was There – 133
Love Song – 91
Sure About It – 69
Hand in Hand – 221
In the City – 393
A Song To Sing – 172

Lonely Again – 22
I Don’t Know – 19
Smile – 32

Bridges of Stone – 13

What are your thoughts on This time Around? What do you most want to see included in the setlist? What would you like to see as solos or acoustic? Leave a comment with your thoughts!

Check out the partial and missing setlists from the This Time Around tour below to see if you can help us fill in any blanks!

Continue reading →

Middle of Nowhere Song Stats

By | June 27, 2021
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The first of the “Against the World +” Summer Concert Series will feature select songs from Hanson’s debut album, Middle of Nowhere.  While these songs have been around the longest of the entire catalog, we are missing some setlists from 1998 so these stats may not be completely accurate.  It seems that MMMBop and Where’s the Love will be included in this setlist as the more popular singles from the album and the top 2 songs performed live from the band.  But tracks like Yearbook – that took them 10 years to start playing live and Lucy, that was in heavy rotation on the 2000 tour and relatively rare since could be less likely to make it in.  The I Will Come To You single also featured the B-side Cried which has only been played 13 times.  Will this rareity make it into the setlist as a special treat?

Thinking Of You – 227
MMMBop – 957
Weird – 196
Speechless – 128
Where’s the Love – 846
Yearbook – 72
Look At You – 271
Lucy – 56
I Will Come To You – 131
A Minute Without You – 664
Madeline – 220
With You In Your Dreams – 183
Man From Milwaukee – 179
Cried – 13

What are your thoughts on Middle of Nowhere?  Which tracks would you like to see included in the setlist? Which would you like to see as solos or acoustic?  Leave a comment with your thoughts!

Check out the partial and missing setlists from the Albertane Tour below to see if you can help us fill in any blanks!

Continue reading →

This weekend at the After Hours Concert Series: Jake Owen and HANSON!

By | June 25, 2021
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Hanson
with Arts Fishing Club
This Saturday, June 26th
Doors: 5:00 PM / Show: 6:00 PM
Over their first 28 years as the band HANSON, brothers Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson have made a significant mark in music. After signing a record deal early in their careers, they saw a meteoric rise with their 1997 international smash single “MMMBop” from their debut album Middle Of Nowhere, followed by consecutive top-40 singles. A long line of hits, 5 more studio albums, multiple Grammy nominations, over 16 million album sales, and much more followed.

Watch the music video for their 1997 hit “MMMBOP” above, and don’t miss them performing live this Saturday night!
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