When most people think of the band Hanson, many things may come to mind: that infectious mega-hit "MMMBop," the boy band genre and maybe even the label of "has-beens."
The words innovator and indie, however, may not be some of them. But the three brothers from Tulsa, Okla., are trying to change that. They are spending this fall touring the country and going to colleges to try and get the word out about what they see as an amazing opportunity to change the way the music industry is run.
This past Sunday, Hanson came to GW to screen their upcoming documentary, "Strong Enough To Break," which documents their four-year struggle to release their latest studio album, "Underneath." After their sophomore album, the band went through several years of what could be termed "artistic differences" with the heads of their label, Island/Def Jam. The label and band eventually parted ways, and their struggles lead them to start their own label, 3CG Records, and release "Underneath," an album that went on to become the highest-selling independent release ever.
Using their own personal story as an example, Hanson is showing how today's major record labels have gone from their beginnings under the control of "smart, passionate music people" to companies "which are now being run by attorneys and accountants," Taylor Hanson explained during a question-and-answer session following the documentary screening this past Sunday in the Marvin Center Ampitheatre.
Hanson is encouraging not only their own fans, but all music lovers to take control and get involved in making the music industry and radio support music that people can get passionate about.
"Where are the bands that you can follow … where are the U2's now?" Isaac Hanson asked. One of the major problems today, Hanson members said, is the consolidation of radio that followed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which lifted the quota on the amount of radio stations that one company could own. As a result, the same music is being played across the country and bands that cannot afford to pay for the airtime have little to no chance of getting on major radio stations.
The words innovator and indie, however, may not be some of them. But the three brothers from Tulsa, Okla., are trying to change that. They are spending this fall touring the country and going to colleges to try and get the word out about what they see as an amazing opportunity to change the way the music industry is run.
This past Sunday, Hanson came to GW to screen their upcoming documentary, "Strong Enough To Break," which documents their four-year struggle to release their latest studio album, "Underneath." After their sophomore album, the band went through several years of what could be termed "artistic differences" with the heads of their label, Island/Def Jam. The label and band eventually parted ways, and their struggles lead them to start their own label, 3CG Records, and release "Underneath," an album that went on to become the highest-selling independent release ever.
Using their own personal story as an example, Hanson is showing how today's major record labels have gone from their beginnings under the control of "smart, passionate music people" to companies "which are now being run by attorneys and accountants," Taylor Hanson explained during a question-and-answer session following the documentary screening this past Sunday in the Marvin Center Ampitheatre.
Hanson is encouraging not only their own fans, but all music lovers to take control and get involved in making the music industry and radio support music that people can get passionate about.
"Where are the bands that you can follow … where are the U2's now?" Isaac Hanson asked. One of the major problems today, Hanson members said, is the consolidation of radio that followed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which lifted the quota on the amount of radio stations that one company could own. As a result, the same music is being played across the country and bands that cannot afford to pay for the airtime have little to no chance of getting on major radio stations.
