Zac Hanson with Sandy Lo.
Now on their own label, 3CG Records, Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson are still making music together. Although Hanson may not be the “it” thing anymore, they don’t mind as long as they’re making music they love.
StarShine caught up with Zac Hanson backstage on The Walk tour in Sayreville, New Jersey. The tour is supporting the band’s latest album of the same name. The album was recorded in Africa and inspired the band to take barefoot one-mile walks before every show. The walks are in conjunction with Toms Shoes who donates a pair of shoes to a child in Africa with every pair they sell.
“It’s a start,” says Zac, who admits there are even bigger things he feels the band could be doing to help out the less fortunate. He encourages people to purchase their single, “The Great Divide” on itunes. Proceeds go straight to help people with AIDS in Africa. “A 99 cent download seems like nothing at all,” He explains, “but when you realize that the ARV drugs that someone who is positive with AIDS needs to take only costs 17 cents a day, so 99 cents is like a week.”
At the age of twenty-two, Zac is poised, but that wasn’t really surprising. All of the Hanson boys have been ahead of their time since they started writing songs in elementary school. Now Hanson are all married with children, except for Zac, who has one on the way. He already considers himself a father though. When asked which life was crazier between being a rock star and a family man, guess which one he chose? Family man.
“It’s a difficult balance. We married the women we married for a reason. They understand and love what we do and know how much time it takes.” Zac explains. “You just do your best to find the balance between making sure you’re able to take care of the people that aren’t able to make themselves a priority everyday. They’re not going to call you up and say okay I’ll meet you for playtime at four o’clock.” He laughs.
After the interview, StarShine joined the band on the walk. Shoes were optional and of course all three brothers grinned and bared it, literally. Fans happily walked alongside their favorite band, snapping pictures and asking questions the entire time.
Soon it was show time, and by this point, everyone was pumped up. Hanson is reminiscent of an indie rock version of the Beatles rather than a bubblegum boy band who’s trying to make a comeback. Hanson never left. “We’re an interesting band in the pop genre.” Zac says with a smile. “We consider ourselves a pop/rock band. More and more we consider ourselves a rock & roll band. We grew up listening to late ‘50s, early ‘60s R&B and pop. I think it‘s much easier to understand who we are now than it was back then.” By “then” Zac is referring to 1997 when Hanson mania broke out.
Hanson took the stage that night at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville and the crowd was wild. They knew every word, every opening beat. Not only did Hanson croon, but they jammed. Playing hits like “If Only” and “Where’s The Love” were a highlight of the show, but hearing The Walk album live was even more amazing. If you closed your eyes, you might think you were at a Maroon 5 or Jack Johnson show. StarShine means that as a good thing. We would never take away from Hanson’s own sound, which is definitely there. Hanson will be one of those bands who will be around for years to come and will be remembered for being one thing: music artists.