107.5 The River
Nashville, Tennessee
28 March 2000

CRUISE: 107.5 The River, today's hit music. It is Cruise, gonna be talking to Hanson in just a couple seconds. On the phone with me now - Patricia, their tour manager.

PATRICIA: Hey.

CRUISE: Hello.

PATRICIA: How you doing?

CRUISE: Very good, very good.

PATRICIA: Okay. I'm gonna put Isaac on with you first.

CRUISE: Okay, cool.

PATRICIA: Okay, just a second.

ISAAC: Hello.

CRUISE: Hey Isaac!

ISAAC: Hey, how are you doing?

CRUISE: Very good, how are you doing Isaac, man?

ISAAC: I'm doing pretty good.

CRUISE: I'm gonna be able to talk to all three of you guys or just...

ISAAC: Yeah, yeah. I think all - yeah, yeah, we're gonna pass it around so I think you'll get to talk to everybody.

CRUISE: That's cool! Tell me about This Time Around, what's going on what that? How did it go?

ISAAC: Well, it was very cool, you know um, getting a new record out. We were very excited to have the record done and get it released. You know it's coming out May 9th, which is - we're very excited about, it's coming out. I mean you know, so far our fans have responded very, very well to the new music and just I think across the board their response has been very positive. We're just looking forward to what's to come. I mean, the making of the record was just a really cool process; we actually ended up working with Steven Lironi whom we worked with on the last record.

CRUISE: Right.

ISAAC: And it just came together really well.

CRUISE: Tell me about working with Jonny Lang and John Popper from Blues Traveler.

ISAAC: It was great. Those guys are just amazing, amazing players. It was a cool thing to get the opportunity to work with fellow musicians and kind of, share the creative process with those guys.

CRUISE: How did you get in contact with Jonny Lang or John Popper? Was that through, I mean, was that your guy's idea, was it the producer's idea? Did you like hey, "I want to work with John Popper, I want to get him on this record." What's going on?

ISAAC: It was actually kind of funny, because we threw it at Steve Lironi who we produced the record with and he was kind of like, "Well... okay... whatever, I mean, if you guys want to do that that's fine." And so uh - cos we had met John Popper and Jonny Lang on tour. We met Jonny Lang when we were in England. He was there and we invited him to like, come to a movie with us and we started hanging out together and later on we then asked him if he'd be willing to play on the record when we were, while we were doing it and he was like, "Oh yeah, that'd be great, just give me a call."

CRUISE: What was the movie?

ISAAC: it was actually Truman Show. So ah...

CRUISE: I'm sorry, random thought.

ISAAC: Yeah, we got -- it was cool, cos we got a private screening of it. Cos it was out in the states but it wasn't out in England so we were able to get a screening of it so we were like, "Hey you want to come to the movie?" And he was like, "Sure." So that was how we met Jonny Lang and how we, how that came about. But with John Popper, he had kind of expressed interest in the band. We had seen things of him you know, saying he thought the band was pretty cool. We actually had the opportunity to meet him later on while he was on tour and he actually invited us to play "MMMBop" with him on stage with all of Blues Traveler.

CRUISE: Really?

ISAAC: Oh yeah. So it was very cool. And he played a solo in the middle of "MMMBop." You know for sixteen bars and he you know, wails on the harmonica.

CRUISE: That is so cool.

ISAAC: So, it was very fun, and that's how we, so that was kind of like our official you know, meeting and we asked him if he'd want to play on the record you know, was being made you know "would you want to play" and he said, "Sure." So, a similar type thing, we met them while we were on tour.

CRUISE: You're talking about touring a lot. Is there another Hanson tour in the works, are you working on that?

ISAAC: We are going to be touring sometime this summer, it'll probably be July when we start touring. We don't have any confirmed dates yet but the dates are being confirmed very, very soon and they'll be out pretty quickly. But probably around July is when we'll start, and then we'll go to Australia and Asia later on this year and stuff, so it's gonna be cool.

CRUISE: That's terrific. Isaac, man, I appreciate your time. Don't go anywhere, I have three big type questions for the three of you that you can confer on at the end of the interview.

ISAAC: Okay, cool. You want me to get them?

CRUISE: That'll be awesome. Thank you so much man.

ISAAC: Okay, hold on.

CRUISE: While Isaac is getting the next Hanson brother, lets listen to "MMMBop." It's on 107.5 The River!

CRUISE: 107.5 The River, today's hit music. It is Cruise. "MMMBop," from Hanson. Waiting for the next Hanson brother to show up and get on the phone with me. That's a song I haven't heard in a while.

TAYLOR: Hello?

CRUISE: Hello!

TAYLOR: Hey, how's it going?

CRUISE: Good, how are you?

TAYLOR: Very good.

CRUISE: And who am I speaking with?

TAYLOR: This is Taylor.

CRUISE: I appreciate you taking your time man.

TAYLOR: Oh, no problem.

CRUISE: So ah, where you guys hanging today?

TAYLOR: We are in New York right now.

CRUISE: You're in New York... what are you preparing to do?

TAYLOR: We're just... we just came straight from Australia and just here for a few days. We're gonna be doing a showcase for a few contest winners and some industry people in the area, and we're just gonna be doing some press for the new record while we're here in the states and... and this Saturday we fly on to Europe to keep promoting the new record.

CRUISE: So you guys jetlagged or what?

TAYLOR: We're a little jetlagged, yeah, but its actually - we've - you get into this pattern so you kind of just go with the flow and you sort of get used to being tired.

CRUISE: What do you do for fun?

TAYLOR: What do we do for fun...

CRUISE: Well, I know that the music is fun and you guys have been doing it and that's fun and all but what else do you guys do?

TAYLOR: Well, I mean we do everything that anybody does. I mean, when we're home you see your friends, you go to movies you do everything that anybody does.

CRUISE: Is it difficult for you guys to go out and do stuff like that? Do you go to the movies without being mobbed and stuff like that?

TAYLOR: You know, there's - sometimes you just can't - it's a pain, you know, maybe sometimes there's people asking for your autograph or whatever and that whole thing but we just do it. You know, we could just never do stuff. So we, you just go with it and yeah, that happens but it's just not a big deal.

CRUISE: How is it working with your brothers?

TAYLOR: How is it working with... well I guess the question is, how is it NOT working with your brothers. It's the type of thing we've been doing it for a long time and its what we do, you know. We understand each other, we have a lot of the same interests we you know, we're around each other a lot.

CRUISE: You wouldn't want to be without them.

TAYLOR: Well it's... yeah, exactly. I mean, that's the way it's always been. It's not something that's odd it's the way we've always done it. It's like we say the brothers thing is like a separate - its one in the same. We're brothers, we're a band, its all one thing. It's all one package.

CRUISE: Who did you listen to when you were growing up that really got you going, "Hey I gotta do music. I love this very much, I want to pursue it?"

TAYLOR: Well, good question. I wouldn't say there is one person, or one artist. The first music that really got us into music was like, 50s and 60s rock & roll - you know, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, a lot of the old soul music. And then you know, the 70s stuff too. But that was like the first stuff we listened to, which is all before our time, and actually even some of it before our parent's time.

CRUISE: Sure.

TAYLOR: Which was interesting that that sort of came about. But that was probably the first really big musical influence. But now we listen to everything but that was kind of the founding thing that really got us into music in the first place.

CRUISE: How long have you been playing piano?

TAYLOR: To get technical, we took classical piano when we first started.

CRUISE: Everybody? All three of you guys?

TAYLOR: Well, primarily Ike and I but Zac did take a little bit. But I've really just been playing, the keyboardist of the band for five years.

CRUISE: I'm actually a classically trained pianist. if you ever get down here to Nashville we'll can like to jam on like, "Heart & Soul."

TAYLOR: Well, I'm sure you'll fill me up.

CRUISE: I don't think so, but hey, you never know. I appreciate your time so much. Hey, if you could put Zac on, I've got three big fat questions that I always do to like, wrap up my interviews that ya'll can kind of like, figure out. Okay?

TAYLOR: Okay, I'm going to try and locate Zac real quick.

CRUISE: Aright. Well, while Taylor's looking for Zac, we'll play their latest - "This Time Around" on 107.5 The River.

CRUISE: Awesome new tune from Hanson on 107.5 The River. I am Cruise interviewing the Hanson brothers. One of them has left. Last but definitely not least - Zac! How are you man?

ZAC: I am doing good.

CRUISE: How is being a drummer?

ZAC: Being a drummer is good. We hit stuff lots, and therefore we're a drummer.

CRUISE: Do they call you Animal?

ZAC: There have been ah, I guess its more fans of the band that call me Animal. I think it was a joke once by us and they kind of picked it up. But we don't really call me Animal.

CRUISE: No, they just call you Zac.

ZAC: Yeah.

CRUISE: I was reading - okay, Isaac, Taylor and Zac. Isaac and Taylor, they're using their middle names. What's with you - you're using your real first name.

ZAC: Well, that was just a choice. I don't know, it could be Clarke, Jordan and Zac. Isaac, Taylor, and Walker.

CRUISE: There ya go!

ZAC: I don't know, it didn't quite sound right.

CRUISE: Alright, so, everybody wants to know. You guys hooked up with any girls?

ZAC: Ah no.

CRUISE: You guys single?

ZAC: Yes, we are all single.

CRUISE: Well, I guess being in the music business you don't have time for women.

ZAC: Yeah, at the moment. No time for women. We're promoting the new album... This Time Around! That was pretty nice.

CRUISE: Yes, woo-hoo! I love the video for "This Time Around," it's awesome.

ZAC: Well, thank you very much.

CRUISE: I like the rat!

ZAC: That was the director's idea. He was like, "We need some storylines in here, there's gotta be like a rat!" So you know, we ended up going with the rat. It was Dave's little thing. Obviously people like it.

CRUISE: Absolutely. I love the rat. That's just my personal thing. I have got three fat questions that I always wrap my interviews with. If you guys will like huddle together and answer them together that would be great. Are they around?

ZAC: Actually they're not right near. I guess I can just answer them by myself.

CRUISE: Oh God. No pressure here Zac. Three big fat questions. #1: There are three amigos in the movie The Three Amigos.

ZAC: Um, Lucky, Dusty...

CRUISE: Yes.

ZAC: And it's something days... what's his name? Lucky, days and something. Hold on, I need to ah... I'll be right back. I'm sorry, just getting some confirmation from the other band members. Lucky, Dusty and Ned Meaderlender (??).

CRUISE: That's right! Okay. You're one for one. Two: name the one that doesn't belong: Heart, Nelson, Jackson 5, or Ricky Martin.

ZAC: Uh and ah...

CRUISE: Pick the one that doesn't belong.

ZAC: Ricky Martin, I don't know?

CRUISE: Absolutely right! Yes! Do you know why?

ZAC: I can't think of right now.

CRUISE: The reason is because Heart, Nelson, Jackson 5 - they're all family bands and Ricky Martin is solo.

ZAC: Okay, right...

CRUISE: You win! Okay, that's #2. Okay, #3. Third big fat question to wrap up the old interview. What is the name of the brothers featured in the movie Slapshots?

ZAC: The Hanson Brothers!

CRUISE: Yes!! You are three for three! I, I appreciate your time so much tonight; it is so great to talk to you guys. I know you guys have got to run and you can't take phone calls from listeners, but I appreciate your time. Hopefully we answered some questions from people. Plug your record!

ZAC: Ah our record is awesome, listen to it. It's cool.

CRUISE: It comes out May 9th.

ZAC: This Time Around!

CRUISE: This Time Around!

ZAC: It's a great record. I like it. I hope you do too.

CRUISE: Thank you so much. Tell Isaac and Zac I appreciate their time.

ZAC: Thank you very much.