Power FM
Australia
29 September 2004

BRENDO: Isaac Hanson from Hanson, how are you?

ISAAC: Hey how are you?

BRENDO: I'm good, long time no hear, see.

ISAAC: Well, we have been making a record for about four years, which is very scary!

BRENDO: I didn't know such an experience took so long.

ISAAC: It should not, but unfortunately it did. The cool thing is we are back with the new record called Underneath and the other thing is we have formed a record company and we are doing things in a totally different way, which is a really exciting thing for us. Working with some really cool people around the world to help release it in some of the international countries. It has been a really great experience so far and we are looking forward to a lot of touring a lot more music made.

BRENDO: What is it like being your own boss?

ISAAC: You know its actually really traumatizing; I have to tell myself "no" all of the time. You know, I keep going, "please me can't I have my way?" and then I have to tell myself "no." Actually, it's kind of an interesting experience owning a record company and so on. It definitely adds a certain level of stress that wasn't already there, which is actually kind of scary cos in most cases being in a band is a full time job not to mention being involved in the record company as much as we are. You know, it has been an exciting change and I think that you will see a lot more artists doing it in the near future. And I think it's a really cool experience because it's been a really empowering process.

BRENDO: We have Isaac Hanson on the countdown with us tonight. Now you guys exploded back in 1997 commercially with your very first album Middle of Nowhere. And I remember when you guys came down under to Australia and it was just absolutely crazy.

ISAAC: Yes I do, I remember that very well.

BRENDO: There were girls screaming your name, there were girls running after you in the street. Now what is it like to have you know 5,000 screaming in front of you, you know just chasing you?

ISAAC: Well, it's a wonderful experience, but also it's surreal, it's crazy. I don't know, I've never really known how to quite describe it. I've always took it with a grain of salt and understood that it can come and go very quickly, and if it wasn't you it could be someone else, we feel really lucky. It's a crazy experience, I mean what guy wouldn't want thousands of women screaming at them and chasing them and wanting to be their girlfriend and so on and so forth.

BRENDO: Which out of the Hanson members is the ladies favorite?

ISAAC: Well it just depends on the day I guess. I have to say that I am the biggest flirt.

BRENDO: Right

ISAAC: I'm the guy that is most likely to invite the girls to hang out and that kind of thing. Taylor of course is married these days so his off the market and Zac has also got a girlfriend too. In fact, actually I have a girlfriend also, it's kind of a little complicated.

BRENDO: I also read about you Isaac that you have an interest in cigars.

ISAAC: Oh yeah.

BRENDO: What's going on with that, you like to sit back and relax with a good cigar, or you like to collect...

ISAAC: Oh, absolutely there is nothing like a good cigar.

BRENDO: You know you are the perfect image of somebody who runs a record company, sitting with a cigar making the decisions.

ISAAC: I'll add to it even more, I'm a guy who enjoys my whisky too. It's whisky and cigars.

BRENDO: Whisky and cigars.

ISAAC: You know but I try not to abuse it to often, just when I do I go all the way.

BRENDO: Yeah, nice.

ISAAC: It's just one of those things.

BRENDO: Nice, nice I'm with you there Isaac.

ISAAC: It is very hard to smoke cigars when you are on the road cos of singing and everything.

BRENDO: Yep, Yep.

ISAAC: But man when I can I will sit down and make a day of it, enjoy a good cigar.

BRENDO: Isaac, I believe when you guys are out touring on the road, I believe one of your favorite tracks to play is "I Will Come To You," why is that?

ISAAC: Well that one I don't really get sick of playing off of that album. In fact it was really funny cos in the recent past I have had a bunch of people who are kind of new Hanson fans. People who have got into the latest record or This Time Around, it got them into coming to a show, and they came to the show and said "oh man! I really love that new tune; that's a really cool song". Actually that's on the first record

BRENDO: Right, yeah.

ISAAC: So it's kind of cool. People who are not as familiar with the some of the older material come up to you and be like, "Oh cool I love that song". And well it's on the first record go and check out the first record too.

BRENDO: We are going to spin to for you right now Isaac, how's that?

ISAAC: Yeah, cool.

BRENDO: Isaac Hanson joining us live on the countdown tonight. A track the guys love to play when they are out on the road, "I Will Come To You" on 94.9 Power FM.

*I WILL COME TO YOU*

BRENDO: On the countdown tonight are Hanson. Of course they are back after they have sold millions of albums around the world. We've got Isaac on the line with us. What was it like having "MMMBop" released and taking you guys to superstardom?

ISAAC: Well you know it was a crazy experience. I don't think, you know, anyone could have expected the record to do as well as that one did. It is almost impossible to have hits like that. Everybody kinda crosses their fingers and hopes they would have the opportunity that that song gave us. And I think that it has been a really cool experience, no question about it.

BRENDO: And it's one of those catchy songs, that when you hear it you just can't get it out of your head.

ISAAC: Oh yeah, I hope we get the opportunity to expose people to a lot of other music too. There are a lot of great bands out there too that we are just really excited about. You know we think we own a record company we are all about the independent music. There is a lot of music in the US in particular that is really not getting its fair shake on the radio and so on. There is a lot of catchy ditties hopefully on Underneath, as well as from various other artists.

BRENDO: Fantastic. Cos I can see you walking down the hallway of your record company, holding a whisky and cigar making these changes to the entertainment industry.

ISAAC: Well, you know, you cross your fingers as I believe The Beatles said making a revolution hey.

BRENDO: Middle of Nowhere was the past; the future is the brand new album Underneath, which features the single "Penny & Me." And I understand Isaac you did everything for the new album. You wrote, you produced, you edited, you finalized, you released, you publicized. You three guys, it's a one-man operation.

ISAAC: Well we have always been really involved in everything we've done, even back in the days of Middle of Nowhere. All of the songs on the record are songs that we wrote. You're a big part of everything you do. It's your music, it's your career, and that continues to be the case with Underneath. Actually produced completely ourselves, which was a different experience, being involved in that process. We did kind of take it to the next level with this record. Just take it on and get some really engineers in the room, and we did.

BRENDO: I have been spinning the brand new album Underneath, and I got to say Isaac possibly one of the best albums to date, Isaac.

ISAAC: Well thank you very much, we hope it is. I hope every time we make a record it gets that much more interesting. I think it is a more mellow and diverse record, it goes through a lot of emotional places. I'm also excited about the next record too.

BRENDO: Oh, you're working on the next record! See the true business man yourself.

ISAAC: Well it's really the true artist. Music always comes first for me. Don't fret cause Underneath is soon to be followed by more music too.

BRENDO: Isaac Hanson on the countdown with us tonight. The brand new single is "Penny & Me" and it is in stores right now. The new album, which is in stores October 18th. And "Penny & Me" debuts at #10 tonight Isaac, which is very exciting.

ISAAC: Yes it is.

BRENDO: Isaac would you like to intro the song for us?

ISAAC: Absolutely, hey everybody this is Isaac from Hanson this is our latest single "Penny & Me," you're listening to the Hot 30 with Brendo.

PENNY & ME

BRENDO: Isaac, it has been a pleasure to chat with you tonight.

ISAAC: It has been a real pleasure talking to you also.

BRENDO: It has been a few years between tracks for you guys, but Hanson are back. They have got a brand new album coming out again after the one coming out really soon. And Isaac I wish you guys all the best as well.

ISAAC: Yeah well we are really excited to come down to Australia, I hope to see everybody down there at the end of the year. I'm sure that we will be coming down and saying "hey" to all the fans.

BRENDO: Are you hoping for all the screaming fans to be following you again?

ISAAC: We will cross our fingers, like I said. Every guy would look forward to a few ladies chasing after him. And while you're at it, if we come down for and electric show, it's gonna be a real rock & roll experience, and I think that it is going to be something that everybody can enjoy. So hopefully they'll join us when we come down.

BRENDO: Isaac Hanson on the countdown tonight, the album Underneath is in stores October 18. Thank you very much Isaac.

ISAAC: Thank you!

BRENDO: That is Isaac Hanson from the group Hanson, make sure you go out and grab a copy of Underneath and the single "Penny & Me."