There was a time in the 90s when the radio couldn’t live without playing the Hanson brothers. The band was such a hit that everyone played them in their office, home, cars, etc. However, it has been a while since we have heard anything from the Hanson brothers musically. Their first song hit the radio some 22 years back and since then, they have been in and out of the spotlight. So, where are the Hanson brothers now? Let’s take a look into the journey of a band that was once irresistible.
Hanson Never Stopped Making Music
Although the band remained out of the spotlight for several years but they never stopped making music. For the last 25 years, they have been regularly working in the studio and toured different countries as well. The Hanson brothers formed the band in 1992 while they were teenagers. Today, they are all-grown-up and somehow continue to remain relevant.
Previously, the band had released their new album “String Theory”, which includes 22 songs and features symphonic arrangements. And to keep their fans updated, they regularly post photos on their websites and news related to tours, music, and even special shows.
Apart from the successful music venture, the brothers are quite interested in beer as well. As a result, they came up with The Hanson Brothers Beer Co. in Oklahoma. They donate a certain portion of their sales to charity and offer a free song as a package. According to them, a good beer in hand makes music more enjoyable.
Commercial Success
The Hanson Brothers got their big break upon the release of their album “Middle of Nowhere”. Such was the success that May 6 was declared “Hanson Day” since the album was released on the same date. Although “Hanson Day” was intended to occur once but many fans still observe the day every year.
Not only that, but the Hanson Brothers also launched Middle of Nowhere magazine that had 12 issues. Meanwhile, each brother wrote their unauthorized biography until they met their closest friend and asked him to help them with their authorized biography.
As a result, the book reached the ninth spot on the New York Times Best Sellers List. Plus, in 1998, the band was nominated for three Grammy Awards. The same year, Hanson decided to launch a highly successful tour, the “Albertine Tour.”
The band performed across many states and targeted the young audience through their energetic and soulful performance. Then, the band released the “Live from Albertine” live album along with “The Road to Albertine” which was their second documentary.
While touring, the band wrote songs and provided free demos comprising their second album “This Time Around”. However, during the process, Mercury Records with whom the band was signed merged with Island Def Jam.
The album was released just after the changeover in 2000. But since the album did not receive any funds from promotions, the sales were disappointing and the label also stepped back from funding the tour. As a result, the band utilized their funds for the tour.
Independent Career
The band underwent 3 years of struggle before leaving Island Def Jam Records. The band wanted to try something new and had almost 80 songs rejected by the label executives. According to them, the material lacked marketability. Therefore, Hanson now works under their own independent label called 3CG records and has distribution deals throughout the United States and other distributors in the world.
In 2004, the band released “Underneath” which ended up on the top spot on Billboard Top Independent Albums Chart by selling 37,500 copies in the first week.
The Walk and Tenth Anniversary
In 2007, Hanson released the first episode of “Taking the Walk”, which was their documentary podcast. The documentary offered a journey of the band’s studio album production to the fans. Then, the band started touring to promote “The Walk” and within six days, the band performed in several different locations including Connecticut. Apart from that, the band also performed at various special venues and even held a Q&A session.
On May 6, 2007, the band celebrated its 10th anniversary by re-recording their album “Middle of Nowhere”. They invited fan club members who flew in hundreds to attend the event. Upon the release of “The Walk”, the band appeared in Los Angeles, Toronto, and New York City, etc.
Controversies
By the time the band released its sixth album “Anthem” its popularity had decreased. The band continued to release Christmas albums but they failed to produce impressive numbers. However, all was not good for the band. It was severely criticized for not speaking up against George Floyd’s death and participating in the Black Lives Matter movement. Realizing the pressure, the band was forced to release a statement.
To add fuel to the fire, Zac’s Pinterest account was leaked that highlighted pro-gun memes majority of which were sexist, homophobic, racist, and transphobic. The account, which was later deleted also contained memes supporting George Zimmerman along with others while justifying the use of AR-15 rifle. The account also included posts that mentioned men who dressed like a woman suffer from mental illness. He had later apologized for his actions.
Soon he was involved in another controversy where he openly said that he will not comply with the COVID SOPs enforced by the government. This led to many criticizing him yet again and causing him to release an apology.
The Brothers Are Now All Grown Up
The brothers are now all-grown-ups, happily married, and have kids. Since the brothers tour together and spend a significant amount of time in the studio, their kids get along quite well according to Zac.
Final Word
The Hanson Brothers ruled the music scene back in the 90s. They toured every venue, state, and country possible and had everyone on their toes during their performances. However, according to many, the Hanson Brothers failed to catch up. Their music wasn’t simply upto the shifting music tastes and differences. This has offered the band some time to focus on their personal lives and maybe come up with something new in the future.