Hansonstage

Forbes

(Left to right) Taylor, Zac and Isaac Hanson pose backstage prior to a Hanson performance on day three at Riot Fest. Sunday, September 21, 2025 at Douglass Park in Chicago, IL (Photo by Ethan Chivari)

(Left to right) Taylor, Zac and Isaac Hanson pose backstage prior to a Hanson performance on day three at Riot Fest. Sunday, September 21, 2025 at Douglass Park in Chicago, IL

In 1997, brothers Isaac, Zac and Taylor Hanson tallied a breakout hit with their ubiquitous first single “MMMBop.”

Reaching #1 in a dozen countries, “MMMBop” drove global sales in excess of 10 million copies of Hanson’s debut Dust Brothers/Stephen Lironi-produced studio album Middle of Nowhere.

Ranging between the ages of just 11 and 16 upon the record’s release, the crossover success of “MMMBop” is the type that could’ve ended many young careers before they even had a chance to start. But since then, Hanson has released twelve studio albums, self-releasing via their own 3CG Records for more than 20 years.

I spoke with Isaac, Zac and Taylor Hanson backstage at Riot Fest about pondering the idea of Hanson as the group eclipses 30 years together and the value of authenticity. A transcript of our conversation, lightly edited for length and clarity, follows below.

Taylor Hanson performs on stage with Hanson on day three at Riot Fest. Sunday, September 21, 2025 at Douglass Park in Chicago, IL

Jim Ryan: Obviously, you guys were so young when the band started. Nobody thinks about what that’s gonna look like 30 or so years later. What’s it like to ponder Hanson in that way?

Taylor Hanson: The thing is, when we first started discovering music we were really going back. A lot of people hear the music from before and get inspired. We were hearing early 50s records, 60s records. So, we had this sense of like, “This may not be the most popular artist to my peers right now, but we’re into it.” And so I think we always thought of music that way, hoping that we would be able to be like our heroes, where the music kind of goes past you almost.

Isaac Hanson: Zac legitimately kicked our next door neighbor out of our house once because he didn’t know who the Jackson 5 were…

Zac Hanson: Go home! Figure out what this is. Come back later.

Isaac: I think you were like 9 or something.

Zac: Play date over.

Taylor: Here’s some music homework for you.

Isaac: You don’t know “The Love you Save” or “ABC?” Come on.

Taylor: It’s interesting. You have to be present. You can be intentional about it. But we’re here because of the music. I mean, we broke very young. And we had a very mainstream breakout, yes. And there’s that pop perspective that people have on us. And so we had some of that. But the thing is, we’ve just always been here for the music. That’s it. No frills.

Isaac: Not the fame game, not the popularity game. That wasn’t the goal.

Taylor: That was never the goal. It was just like, we’re doing this because this is what we want to be doing in 20 years. Not just because we wanna be popular.

Isaac: I think we were always focused on trying to write the best songs we could write. To be honest. That’s really, I think, the primary thing we were focused on.

Zac: Don’t confuse “we’re here for the music” as being altruistic though, you know? What it really means is like, “I’m here for the ride. I’m here for this experience.” And it’s gonna take me a lot of places. I think those who know Hanson’s catalog know that not only are there eras – because we’ve been a band for more than 30 years – but there’s also genres in that. I mean, you could probably take parts of our career and make totally different sounding bands. Like, here’s sort of Country Hansen, here’s Cosby Stills and Nash and here’s Rock Hanson. Here’s Pop Hanson, here’s Dance Hanson. Because there’s just a lot there. And that’s what I mean by it’s not altruistic. When you say I’m here for the music, there’s just more to it. I’m here to do this, regardless of what it becomes, regardless of whether it’s good for me or becomes a little bigger thing. Which is a little more punk rock.

Hanson performs on stage on day three at Riot Fest. Sunday, September 21, 2025 at Douglass Park in Chicago, IL (Photo by Ethan Chivari)

Ryan: You guys were so ahead of the curve in terms of dealing with and embracing the internet. Especially as we watch everything continually speed forward so quickly today, we do see some artists struggle with wearing all of the different hats you’ve got to wear today as artists. What’s kind of your approach to advances in technology today?

Isaac: Our historic approach has definitely been to superserve the people that are the most dedicated. We do our best to do that. The internet and the world has changed a lot. Especially in the last five years. And we’re certainly kind of reevaluating what things look like. Because it’s not 2019 anymore, right? Like there’s a really big difference it feels like culturally. So, we are kind of in an evolutionary phase, I think. Not only culturally but as a band and what that looks like. We were playing a show last night. And there was a kid there with a sign in his hand that said first concert.

Taylor: 8-year-old kid.

Isaac: Right. And then, actually, as it turns out, I met somebody after the show who was in her late thirties and she was like, “Yeah, this is also my first ever concert.” Well, that’s amazing. So, I think, no matter what, going into a show we’ve got to remember that. At some level, you’re there to deliver that first concert ever energy. You give your whole self to it no matter what. And, yeah, you might be tired and everything else. But, man, what a great job. What a great opportunity! So, spread some love and some good vibes and have a good time. It’s the coolest thing ever. I think the ethos is first concert ever. And also just respect to the people that are there. Because if they don’t show up next time, you don’t got a job anymore.

Taylor: You’re asking about technology though, specifically. Technology always changes the dynamic. But who you are in building a relationship with a community of fans, that’s been the same. And will be until the end of time. You find your people. You find your people that are Led Zeppelin fans, Badfinger fans, Weird Al fans, Hanson fans. You find this connectivity. What’s happened with technology is the ability to really have more of a direct interaction with them.

Isaac: Which is really cool – generally.

Taylor: And we experienced that because we came up with it. We preached it when we started with a label and when we went independent. And now it’s different. But creatives are always gonna be fighting that sort of battle.

Isaac: I thought you were gonna say art and commerce. But that’s a whole other conversation.

Taylor: What I mean is chasing what’s quote unquote popular by somebody else versus what do I bring to the table? Sometimes, what you are really aligns with culture and you have this moment. But, ultimately, it’s like every creative, every artist – and the fans know it – you really can only work on what you are. The best version of that. And that’s true regardless of how technology has changed. We benefited from realizing that we could keep and connect – and stay connected with – a community that also had found each other. Authenticity is what that is. You can’t be things that you’re not. “Hey, this is what makes us who we are!” And you just lean into that.

Zac Hanson performs on stage with Hanson on day three at Riot Fest. Sunday, September 21, 2025 at Douglass Park in Chicago, IL (Photo by Ethan Chivari)

Ryan: It’s been a few years since Red Green Blue. What’s next?

Taylor: We’re kind of in between. We know that at this point in the career that it’s not about every two years, “Hey, let’s just put out another record.” It needs to be like, “Here’s the story, here’s a vision, here’s something that’s exciting.”

Isaac: Also, in fairness, in the previous five years leading up to Red Green Blue, we released a lot – probably more music in that five year period than I think we ever had. Because we had a greatest hits tour that we did with a single. Then we did the String Theory stuff. Then we did that Against the World album and then Red Green Blue. So we’re kind of taking a deep breath and making sure that we’re spending our creative energy properly.

But it’s been crazy. Because, actually, in spite of that, we still did like 40 shows in 2025. Which is not a small amount of shows. So, it’s been an interesting thing. Because we’re just continually getting the calls, like the random Riot Fest stuff and things like that.

And I think maybe at the end of the day, that’s just 30 years worth of work paying off. And that’s not a bad place to be.

Concert counting can get a little messy when the Hanson universe expands beyond the three brothers standing on stage together. Over the years, side projects, special appearances, and one-off collaborations have created a handful of shows that don’t quite fit neatly into the current tracking system on the site. If you’ve tried adding some of these to your list before, you may have noticed that a few categories simply don’t allow you to select them yet.

Right now, the following types of performances can’t be added to your show count: Special Guests (which could include one, two, or all three members appearing at someone else’s event), Tinted Windows, Black Wall Street Project, Mother Road Sons, Old Friends, and Taylor Solo shows.

I’d like to change that.

The goal is to make it possible to track these performances in a way that makes sense for fans who keep detailed show lists. For example, Special Guest appearances could count as a full Hanson show if Isaac, Taylor, and Zac are all present, or be credited individually if only one or two members appear. Similarly, Taylor Solo performances would naturally count toward Taylor’s individual totals.

Where things get a little more complicated is with the various side projects and collaborations. Bands like Tinted Windows and Black Wall Street Project, as well as projects such as Mother Road Sons and Old Friends, don’t fall quite as neatly into the existing categories. Should they count toward Isaac and Taylor’s individual show totals? Or should they be tracked as their own separate category altogether?

That’s where this poll comes in.

I’d love to get a sense of how the fan community feels about these categories and how you’d prefer to see them counted. Your feedback will help guide how these shows are handled moving forward. That said, the results of this poll won’t automatically determine the final decision for the site. Think of it more as a temperature check of the fandom. The majority opinion will absolutely be taken into consideration, but it may not be the only factor in the final implementation.

There’s also no exact timeline for when these changes will go live yet. The hope is to have something in place sometime this year, but for now this poll is the first step in figuring out the best way to move forward.

If you track your shows carefully, this is your chance to weigh in and help shape how these performances are counted in the future. 🎶