"Mmmbop" came out in 1997, but if you grew up in the '90s, it's never really gone away.
The dangerously catchy tune by the Tulsa-based pop trio of brothers Isaac, Taylor, and Zac
Hanson let the band hit the ground running when it was released as the hit leadoff single
from their four-times platinum-certified album Middle of Nowhere.
But despite their continued work in the music industry, their fame leveled off on the low
end after their major-label debut.
How do you follow an opening act like that?
Here's what the Hanson brothers have been doing since their unforgettable earworm first
launched them into the pop stratosphere.
Brewing up something different
It might seem like an unusual move for a boy band to break into the beer business, but
that's one of the highlights of Hanson's post-pop icon careers.
The band opened their small brewery in conjunction with friends in the industry in Tulsa in 2014,
producing Mmmhops, the beer of the Hanson Brothers Beer Company.
An American pale ale designed to please just about everybody, it has a drinkable, middle-of-the-road
charm that's often in short supply on hot summer days in Oklahoma.
For the last few years, the Hanson brothers have also combined their two passions into
one boozed-up rock-and-roll extravaganza, put on as a free show with hundreds of beers
on tap.
The Tulsa Hop Jam, as it's called, boasts featured bands such as Edward Sharpe and the
Magnetic Zeros, the Polyphonic Spree, and of course Hanson, playing to thousands on
the streets of downtown Tulsa.
The trio use their fame and products to help boost tourism of their home state of Oklahoma.
Making music on the low-key
Tulsa is also home to Isaac Hanson's 3CG Records music studio - an independent record label,
which has hosted such luminaries as Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips, Miley Cyrus, and
more.
The "3CG" stands for three-car-garage, a reference to the studio's original use.
Since starting 3CG Records in 2003, the brothers have recorded and released their third, fourth,
fifth and sixth albums through the label, with possibilities open to expand and sign
other artists as well.
Paying it forward
If there's anything you need to know about Hanson, it's that they love to give back to
their community.
In addition to their endeavors in music and beer, Taylor Hanson is also the mastermind
behind Food on the Move, a charitable program he started in 2014 that seeks to combat the
effects of food deserts.
He and the brothers have also worked on initiatives to collect and donate shoes to impoverished
areas in Africa.
These aren't one-offs, and they aren't just for publicity, or some sort of situation where
all the hard work is outsourced.
For these programs, the brothers have their boots on the ground, leading their events
in-person.
Tinted Windows
Taylor Hanson hasn't exactly hung up his axe completely in favor of charity and craft beer.
Far from it.
In addition to his family band, the singer-guitarist is also a member of the rock supergroup Tinted
Windows, alongside James Iha, of A Perfect Circle and the Smashing Pumpkins, Adam Schlesinger
of Fountains of Wayne, and drummer Bun E. Carlos of Cheap Trick.
The band kicked off their first show in Tulsa at the historic Cain's Ballroom, which sold
out quickly and drew audiences from around the world.
Signed to the label S-Curve, the group has only released one album, its 2009 self-titled
debut.
Little has been heard from them since their 2010 tour, but the stars may align again.
Nostalgia rocks
The Hanson brothers may have spent the last few years working on their brand, but 2017
will see the trio once again take the world on as an internationally-touring band.
After spending more than 20 years in the cycle of record, tour, repeat, a few years off have
left the band feeling renewed and eager to hit the road again.
Taylor Hanson said, "At the end of the last record we decided to quiet the cycle a little
bit.".
But now that the band has reached such a notable milestone in their 25th anniversary together,
they figure there's no better way to celebrate than with a trip around the world.
He said, "We want to celebrate being this far in, and having been able to share music
for this long."
The eldest brother Isaac added that the tour will be "not only about the two decades of
music, [but] about celebrating the incredible community of fans who have been with us, singing
along year after year."
Kicking off June 2017 in Germany, the shows will take the lifelong musicians to Australia,
across Europe, and back home to the USA.
They're also coming back with a second holiday album in 2017 to see if they can repeat their
original Christmas album's success, 20 years later.
The album, Wintry Mix, has been teased on social media with snippets of the recording
process showing the now grown-up band puzzling out how they want to play the old staples.
It'd take a Christmas miracle to move as many copies as Snowed In did two decades ago, but
fortunately for fans of that catchy, beloved album, the new music sounds better than ever.
So in short, why do you never hear from Hanson anymore?
It's because they're nose-to-the-grindstone busy.
Pick up an album, relax with a beer.
These three brothers started young, and they've got a long, long way to go before they're
done
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