Hanson reflects on 20 years of 'Underneath' and favorite Georgia memories

Hanson, the Grammy nominated trio from Tulsa, Oklahoma, returns to Atlanta to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its album Underneath. They'll play two nights of concerts at the Buckhead Theater on Oct. 22 and 23.

GPB’s Kristi York Wooten caught up with the group recently to talk about the brothers' interesting Georgia connections.

Hanson has been on the scene for more than two decades. Their 1997 major-label debut album featured worldwide hits such “MMMBop” and “Where's the Love,” followed by a sophomore album called This Time Around.

When Hanson first played Atlanta’s Tabernacle in the summer of 2000, the brothers Isaac, 20 Taylor, 17, and Zac, 15, were already child stars. Now, ages 41 and 39, Taylor and Zac Hanson [Isaac, 43, was not available for the interview] are reflecting on how that night in downtown Atlanta was pivotal to their lives and careers.

“That was a very fateful night for particularly for Zac and I,” Taylor Hanson said, “Because we both met our eventual wives at that show. So we both married Atlanta girls. And, I mean, the Tabernacle is an amazing venue. And that tour was pivotal, because we were making a decision to really invest in connecting with fans in a way that well, frankly, just the way that rock and roll bands did.”

“Yes, we did both meet our wives at the show at the Tabernacle,” Zac Hanson said. “So forever we will love that venue regardless of anything that happens. And, you know, it started a real connection to that city, that place.”

What came next for Hanson was a break from the corporate world and starting their own label with the release of first independent album, Underneath, in 2004.

“Underneath, our album—we're 20 years later and we really we talked about it at the end [of recording], like ‘This is an album about believing in the long view, about taking chances and about betting on our fans,’” Taylor said. “And they, you know, they stuck with us. 20 years later, they're filling rooms all over the world.”

That album’s title track was co-written by Matthew Sweet, a veteran of the Athens, Ga., music scene. It's a soulful ballad that helped catapult Hanson from teen idols to widely respected songwriters.

“Matthew started playing some chords and Taylor's on the piano,” Zac said, reflecting on the writing process all those years ago. “And suddenly, in an hour or two, maybe three, we had this completed idea, and it became the title track of the album Underneath. And it was just melodic and meaningful. I think in a way, that song is the story of what we were doing as a band [at the time], which was just digging deeper.”

Sweet was scheduled to perform on the bill with Hanson at the Buckhead Theater on Oct. 22 as part of a two-night affair that dedicates one night to the acoustic side of things and one night to the electric, celebrating the textures that inspired the guys when they were writing the songs for Underneath. But unfortunately he is dealing with a health issue and cannot attend. Phantom Planet will perform Oct. 23 ahead of Hanson’s slot on the second night of the concert experience.

Hanson released a cover of Nick Drake's 1972 folk ballad "Pink Moon" to match the stylings of Underneath and is excited to revisit their favorite songs from the era, including "Penny & Me."

“It’s really amazing and joyful to share those songs this many years later,” Taylor said. “Because they may be the same, the same lyric, but they carry different meaning in 2024.”
 

​