Q97.7
Portland, Maine
01 April 2004
MEREDITH: By the way, Teddy is going to have the Cash Jam coming up for you in just moments, so if you're waiting for that. How you guys doing?! [cheers] All right, if that's any indication of what kind of fans we have here for Hanson, Hanson's biggest fans? [cheers] All right, you guys psyched? Are you guys ready?
LORI: Yes, oh, you talking to me Meredith?
MEREDITH: I am talking to you.
LORI: I am so psyched!
JEFF: I think I am going to have a headache by the time this is over!
LORI: Can I just say I've seen them and holy cow, are they good looking!
MEREDITH: Ladies and one man, here is Hanson! Here they come!
ISAAC: Hello! Hello, hello, hello!
TAYLOR: Actually, we are Cypress Hill! I mean, Hanson.
MEREDITH: Celebrity Deathmatch.
LORI: All right, can you introduce yourselves for those who are watching online and listening in the radio? We know you're collectively Hanson, but please identify yourselves and do remember; we are live on the radio!
TAYLOR: Please identify yourself? I feel like I've just been arrested!
JEFF: Put your hands on the hood and identify yourselves now.
TAYLOR: I'm Taylor.
ZAC: This is Zac.
ISAAC: And this is Isaac.
ZAC: And together when we combined we create Hanson! We're like a superhero force or something.
TAYLOR: Yeah, exactly.
LORI: Thank you so much for coming to Portland, Maine.
TAYLOR: Great to be here.
LORI: Your first time here…
TAYLOR: Yes, it is.
LORI: …performing and how honored we are that you chose our little studio.
JEFF: Well, remember, we invited them and they said "yes."
ISAAC: That's the amazing part.
ZAC: After a lot of money was exchanged and some… never mind.
MEREDITH: They said they wake up every morning and they want to come to Maine.
ZAC: You know, I've been thinking about Maine every day for basically my whole life. And this morning was just sort of a culmination of all of those great feelings I've been having for so many years.
TAYLOR: You know what, he really wants to hug you all right now cos he's been trying-you have no idea--
LORI: Oh, don't even, you have no idea.
MEREDITH: Okay! [runs up and gives Zac a hug]
TAYLOR: If you guys could only see… well, I guess they can see, never mind. There's no theater of the mind anymore.
MEREDITH: There is for me!
TAYLOR: Whoa! Save that for afterwards!
LORI: All right, now, you guys are tuning up a little bit. How about a quick question from the audience? Let's see, Courtney Whitten from Arundel who's 18 wants to know--
TAYLOR: Aww crap! Someone did not want to have that question be asked.
LORI: No, no, no, this is a good question! Do you have any tattoos? Any of you guys?
TAYLOR: We do not have any tattoos, we've thought about getting them before, but I don't know…
LORI: Would you like one?
ISAAC: He says that as if it was a collective effort.
ZAC: We do not.
TAYLOR: No, we were gonna get one tattoo that started on me and ended on Ike, no. No, I'm saying everyone of us has thought at times, "oh, maybe I'll get a tattoo of this or that" but no, no one has tattoos. I've pierced my ear, but that's the only thing.
LORI: You guys are crazy!
ZAC: Unless someone has a tattoo somewhere that I have no idea about.
TAYLOR: Well there's a couple that I'd never show anybody, but that's between me and me.
ZAC: Hopefully they'd never see it.
TAYLOR: Yeah, exactly.
LORI: Now you've got a new album coming out which we cannot wait for; April 20th, the release of Underneath. What is the first song you're going to play for us today?
TAYLOR: We're going to play the new single off the record, it's called "Penny & Me."
LORI: Oh, we know.
TAYLOR: Oh, wow, this really is investigative.
LORI: So, this is "Penny & Me," by Hanson?
TAYLOR: Yes it is!
LORI: On Q97.9.
"PENNY & ME"
MEREDITH: All right! You guys like that? By the way, if you're listening at home, wjbq.com, we've got a little web cam, you guys want to wave to the little web cam?
TAYLOR: Hello!
JEFF: Not only are the people in Portland excited for you guys being here, but people all over the world! There's a website called Hanson Forums and they've been talking about you guys, they heard about this web cam, people all over the world are watching right now on this thing!
TAYLOR: We're in the fish bowl, hello!
ZAC: Though whenever you say web cams I can't help but think bad things. Yeah. You're watching us on a web cam. Ookay…
LORI: Yeah, you are live on the radio. Don't…
TAYLOR: Oh we turned Ike's mic off, we don't want him to talk.
ISAAC: Yeah, they turned it off completely. Ah, anyway.
TAYLOR: Good reason for that!
LORI: They turned off your… [gasps]
TAYLOR: Just then, yeah.
LORI: Do you guys fight a lot?
ISAAC: Do we fight a lot? [laughs]
LORI: Well, you're brothers!
TAYLOR: Well we always wear long sleeved shirts and pants because we have so many bruises.
LORI: Somebody did want to know if it's hard to only have brothers in the band.
ZAC: Well, I think it'd be hard either way. We've always had a real good understanding and a real drive for the music we do and I just think that common goal of just making great music is sort of what holds the band together, brothers or not.
TAYLOR: Yeah, people ask, "what's it like to be in a band with your brothers?" and we're like, "well, what's it like to not be in a band with your brothers?" I think we just all have done this so long together that you kind of anticipate where you're going musically and you've played together for so long. It's so hard to actually get a band to stay together and so, for us, we've been a band for 12 years and so, there's so many different things you want to do and you'll want to produce for other people or write songs for other people and do things outside of the exact form of the band, which is Hanson, but…
LORI: Is it weird to have grown up in front of everybody also making your music?
ISAAC: Well, I think it's more surreal for everyone else than it is for me in the sense that I think having gone through what you go through as a musician you're always constantly growing and changing and I think in our particular case I think there was also a certain physical change…
ZAC: There was a small-
JEFF: called puberty--
ISAAC: I think that enhanced--
TAYLOR: No, that was your genes.
JEFF: That's what happened last week!
TAYLOR: Yeah, that's what I thought! Don't worry, you'll make it through!
ZAC: [small child voice] Mommy! There's weird things happening!
LORI: There's hair places I'm not familiar with!
TAYLOR: Whoa! Whoa! Hey!
ISAAC: He's talking on the radio, he's like, "hello…" That was random. Yeah, I think you're always changing and so on as a musician and I think that the difference in our case is that also, in addition to that, we were young guys and so people noticed more of the physical change in addition to the musical change. I think my state of mind and I think all of our state of minds about our focus on music and what we love to do and where it all comes from is pretty much the same place. It's just that I think you have more opportunity to express it cos you have more records and more time.
TAYLOR: Yeah, I mean, it's pretty amazing to have been a band for as long as we have and a lot of bands-we're 23, I'm 21, 20--18, and a lot of bands are getting together at that age. They're like, "oh, let's go start a band!" But we've been a band for 12 years. So, we've got a couple years ahead.
LORI: Well, may I say for everyone, you're maturing physically quite nicely. And the new single "Penny & Me" is fantastic also, so obviously your music is also maturing.
MEREDITH: Are you guys going to be on tour? Are you coming to Maine again?
TAYLOR: We're definitely going to be on tour. The final routing isn't completed, but hopefully we will. I mean, this is definitely not the last time we'll be here, so…
MEREDITH: The weather will be better, too.
TAYLOR: Well, why would you-I love this weather.
ISAAC: I was actually saying to somebody the other day and I'm just saying this for all of you listening on the radio, I'm saying this as I'm tuning my guitar looking down--
TAYLOR: Wow, multi-tasking!
ISAAC: Multi-tasking. It's a complicated thing, but I'm used to it. Anyway, actually, I was saying to somebody about cold weather and rain and so on--
TAYLOR: It's good for song writing.
ISAAC: It's good for song writing. It really is. I always have found it to be a really creative time.
ZAC: Well, we're from Oklahoma, so thunderstorms are the norm.
JEFF: They're used to it.
TAYLOR: Tornado Alley.
ZAC: Thunderstorms, tornadoes.
TAYLOR: We actually like to write songs in the middle of tornadoes, you guys have any of those?
LORI: Good for songwriting? Tornadoes?
TAYLOR: Yeah, it's not good for instruments, but it's good for inspiration. It's very kind of compelling…
ZAC: You can get that fear and that fear of death hole in your song.
LORI: You gotta have those in your songs.
MEREDITH: Do you have a scary tornado story?
ZAC: [pauses] No! [laughs]
LORI: Now, Hanson is in the Q Lounge on Q97.9, that's who we're talking to right now and they're performing. And it's April 1st and I have to say that it took a lot of convincing to let people not think this was an April Fools joke. It's not! See! It's not an April Fools joke!
MEREDITH: Confirm this, confirm this.
SARAH: It's not April Fools.
ZAC: We're not actually here! Sarah [sassy@hanson.net] has officially confirmed it! It is now fact!
LORI: Now are you guys pranksters? Do you pull April Fools pranks or anything like that?
ZAC: No… of course not! Never!
LORI: Is that real dog poop in the corner or is that plastic?
ZAC: Or is that human poop?
TAYLOR: See, we'd never do anything halfway, is the key.
ISAAC: Exactly. Gotta go all the way.
ZAC: You know, when you're on tour and when you're around with a bunch of guys, generally that stuff happens, you know, a little…
LORI: Poop?
ZAC: Cellophane … a little poop … short sheet… you bring along your supplies.
TAYLOR: The tools of the craft.
ISAAC: The edited version would be: poop happens.
TAYLOR: We've done potty humor, sexual innuendo, we've covered it all.
JEFF: How about a song?!
MEREDITH: Yeah, let's hear a song!
ISAAC: Yeah, we've done that too so far.
TAYLOR: There's a song called "Sexual Innuendo," here we go. No… you actually want a song?
MEREDITH: You guys want a song? [cheers]
TAYLOR: You actually sound like you actually beat someone in the back, like yelps from the crowd.
ZAC: Yie! Yie!
TAYLOR: This is another new song from the album, it's called "Deeper."
"Deeper"
LORI: Haaansooon!
ZAC: Yeah, we like it when you say it like that every time.
LORI: Haaansooon!
TAYLOR: I'm sorry, you can't join the band though. It's just
MEREDITH: Why, why not, what are you saying?
LORI: Oh, April Fools, right? [laughs] Hanson, of course, on Q97.9, their only Maine appearance is right now and you are hearing it live on the radio.
MEREDITH: But that might change, right guys?
ZAC: It might change in the future?
ISAAC: You mean it might change as in a show…?
MEREDITH: You're coming back, right?
ZAC: Of course! We're coming back in the summer, you know, when we start up the tour and I'm going to be living here, starting tomorrow. At the radio station. In the Q Lounge.
MEREDITH: All right, we'll have to bring brownies in for him.
JEFF: Where do we find it, when you guys do announce the tour, you guys got a website, don't you?
TAYLOR: Yeah, if you go to hanson.net you can find out just whatever's going on with the band.
MEREDITH: Hanson.net, not .com, they are different.
ISAAC: .com is actually a… I think it's…
ZAC: It's like a banking group or something?
TAYLOR: And if you go there you'll see a thing that says, "this is not the band Hanson's website."
LORI: Oh, are you serious?
TAYLOR: Yeah, it's fun.
ZAC: But we'd love to give you a loan!
MEREDITH: Who here has a quick question? Quick, quick question, anybody? Are you guys too nervous? Come on…
LORI: Let's go to where they've written them down before…
MEREDITH: Quick question, go ahead. What's your name?
SARAH: Sarah.
MEREDITH: Ask your question.
SARAH: Well, I wrote one down before, but your single, "Penny & Me," is #2 on Billboard.
ISAAC: Yes it is!
SARAH: How do you feel about that? Are you excited?
ISAAC: We feel very excited about that, yeah. For those who don't know, "Penny & Me" debuted #2 on Billboard Top 200, so we're just really excited.
TAYLOR: One of the other things about this album is we started our own record company, I mean, we're putting it out independently. So there's a huge other story other besides just being a band and loving to make music. It's really exciting to have a whole team and be putting it out all over the world as a new label. And so that's really exciting, and it's a huge kudos to our fans who have been there from the beginning, who have always been so into the music.
JEFF: Your fans are huge!
TAYLOR: It's been incredible; it's been four years since the last album. One of the things that when you mention hanson.net it made me think of those whole acoustic tour that we've been doing. Starting last year we went out and played like this, played acoustic shows just to try to start things off in a cool way and to thank a lot of the fans that have been there for years. And if you go to hanson.net you can actually get an album called Underneath Acoustic, which is sort of a precursor to the full album. But we're just playing some of the tunes acoustically.
MEREDITH: We had so many fans emailing, I mean, there must have been what, collectively 500 at least in the last week.
TAYLOR: You mean 500,000? I'm just kidding.
MEREDITH: But I mean, people waiting outside to see you, I mean, how do you deal with that? You're married, I mean, has this been weird for you? Are you happily married?
TAYLOR: I'm so, so happy.
MEREDITH: Good for you.
TAYLOR: It has nothing to do-you know, the whole dynamic of rock & roll and having the enthusiasm of fans, that's just a-you know, when I go to shows I want to make out with Bono, you know, I'm like, "Bono! I love you! I want to have your children!"
ZAC: And we're totally straight!
ISAAC: "Bono, I'll go gay for you Bono!"
TAYLOR: It's like, I think the whole thing about just music and just that energy, your fans and people being enthusiastic, that's just-you're flattered by it. And so I think that's just who you are and your life and I'm sure we'll have a herd of children eventually and that's just who you are and playing music and having fans and having people that are enthusiastic, that's just a compliment. And we're proud of what we do, so it's just amazing to have people that enjoy it.
MEREDITH: But marriage is tough, I mean, I know, my God, I know!
ZAC: She knows!
ISAAC: She knows! Her left hand is very heavy!
MEREDITH: We have normal jobs, I mean, how often do you get to see each other?
TAYLOR: Well, we're luckily very insane, and so we just travel and she goes with me and we take the baby and we just go.
MEREDITH: Awwe, that's great. Sorry girls! He's happily married.
LORI: Let me ask, about music and stuff and growing and being together 12 years. Do you ha--
TAYLOR: We hate each other.
LORI: No, do you still like "MMMBop?"
ZAC: Of course!
LORI: I mean, you don't want to be like, "dude, uuh, don't even say 'MMMBop' to me."
TAYLOR: No, not at all. Of course when you're making music you want to continue-artists always say whatever they last did they love and that's just like a very shallow artist thing, you know, like any painter, "I just did this, it's the best thing I ever did." So in that sense, you always want to move forward and have people be excited ten years from now the album that we make, but you're just really proud of your successes. I mean, "MMMBop" is such an incredible thing and it gave us such an opportunity and since then we've had fans all over the world and released album after album and here we are on the third album. And you're just excited about continuing to make music.
ISAAC: Yeah, I think the other thing is too, and not to extend this answer that much more, but…
TAYLOR: Why not!?
LORI: But to extend it…
ISAAC: Yeah, but if you think of any artist, whether it be even someone like Paul McCartney, I mean, when he gets married the title is, you know, "He Loves Her," a play off of "She Loves You." It's like classic things like that. No matter how substantial the artist is, no matter how many successes you have, you always have certain things that stick in people's heads and I think we feel lucky to have a few of those that people reference.
ZAC: And hopefully that's just a testament to how much people enjoy the music.
MEREDITH: I don't know how they're gonna use "MMMBop" in a headline though.
TAYLOR: We invent words, so, we'll invent something else maybe.
LORI: "Hanson gets married. MMMBop!"
ZAC: You'd be surprised!!
MEREDITH: I bet it was "MMM-Pop" when he had the baby?
ZAC: Tay actually had a headline that was "MMM-married."
TAYLOR: I've had them all.
ISAAC: And I just feel sorry for the writers and the editors because I'm just--
TAYLOR: Don't you guys have any more creative juices than that?
LORI: Would it be pressing our luck if we asked you to play "MMMBop?"
TAYLOR: Uhm, we're probably not gonna play the whole thing, but we can sing a little bit of it.
LORI: Oh, that would be great!
MEREDITH: Just sing us out!
"MMMBOP" chorus
MEREDITH: Hanson, guys, thank you so much for coming. The album is out…
LORI: On April 20th, called Underneath, "Penny & Me," #2 on the Billboard charts, it is Hanson on Q97.9!
ISAAC: Thank you!
