Hanson is as Hanson does: And yes, it's a Strand Exclusive

You can't stop the Bop. Oh, but how people have tried. From the record label that rejected dozens of Hanson's songs for "lacking marketability" to the endless jokes about them being a girly boy-band, the three brothers have soldiered on in spite of the naysayers.They've come along way from being the teen sensation you probably can't help but remember thanks to their once ubiquitous single MMMBop. The brothers have all gotten hitched, perfected their musical chops, and developed quite a conscience, dedicating their current album and tour to the fight against AIDS in Africa. Three years ago they started their own label, 3 Car Garage Records, in order to produce what they wanted rather than what was expected of them. The result has been cooler commercial reception, but the members of Hanson seem unconcerned. They're doing what they love and under their own terms, regardless of how anyone feels about that one infamous song.

In Toronto on a sweltering summer day, the band was kind enough to meet with The Strand. As we fittingly drank pop in the restaurant of the Metropolitan Hotel, the Hanson brothers told us about their vices, marrying fans, and how to beat the record industry at its own game.

The Strand: I almost didn't recognize you! How's Toronto treating you so far?

Taylor Hanson: We've had a crazy travel day and an early morning on Canada AM. Which means you're up before the crack of dawn...

Zac Hanson: (interjects) The buttcrack of dawn!

TH: There are certain times that God didn't intend for humans to see, unless you were staying up the night before - after a binge. Drinking or something.

Are you guys into that? You have such a wholesome image.

ZH: I protest! We did not have a wholesome image. I was just eleven! I was not a wholesome eleven-year-old; I was just not Drew Barrymore. I think we're good guys - there's a difference between people who live in excess and people who enjoy life. We're the second set. We're not the guys who are just so drunk all the time that we can barely put together a sentence.

TH: Honestly, it is funny - so many bands' goal is to become in excess in every way. Like...

International rock stars?

TH: Yeah, drugs, you know what I mean - that's actually the goal, as opposed to the music. For us, we got started so young, obviously we weren't at the point where it was all about getting girls. It was too early. I think in some ways that sort of focused our energy in a different way. I think we're more like normal people - sure you go out and have a good time, sure you drink or smoke or whatever, do what most people do. As opposed to [what is] categorized as "normal" for bands, which is like drunk, lying in a pool of your own vomit - you know.

Speaking of getting started so early, back then every girl I knew had a poster of you guys or The Moffats on their wall. What was it like being turned into pop idols or sex symbols at such a young age?

TH: It was kind of surreal - you don't really have much to compare it to. So when it first happens, it's sort of like "well, there's nothing wrong with this!"

Yeah, it couldn't have been all bad - I mean, you guys ended up marrying fans, right?

TH: Well, in one way or another, yeah.

ZH: All our wives were fans of the band. We met them all at concerts, in varying forms...

TH: Sort of like how you'd meet people at work, you know? That's our job.

I think I saw this on Wikipedia, so I don't know if it's true or not, but one of you guys actually saw a girl in the fifth row of a concert?

TH: That was Ike. He actually did! Our stories were different, but his literally was ("chik chik" sound).

ZH: (My wife was) invited by somebody who was working for us; we met her afterwards...

TH: Zac was dating someone else at the time, but about a year after...

ZH: About a year after I met Kate I started to see a relationship.

TH: They were definitely fans too, but it was a few more steps removed - it wasn't the same, like "hey you!"

A sort of visual connection (at the concert)?

TH: Yeah, visual connection - that's a really good way to put it.

You've been playing music for 15 years now, ever since your very first show - you probably weren't thinking about your future at the time, but where do you think you might have gone if the music hadn't panned out so well? Would you have had nice safe careers as accountants?

TH: We had no choice in the matter. We are musicians, we would be musicians. It's like you can't turn it off. Honestly, there's a lot of stuff that we're really interested in. We would probably be leaning more on "okay, the band hasn't gone quite so well; I'll be a writer, I'll be an artist, I'll work on films, I'll produce other people's records." We still do all those things, but those are augmenting the band as opposed to the other way around. One way or another, I think the thing is not being able to not be that. That's what we always told people, even when we were so young, they'd look at us and be like "you guys are 14," and they'd be so condescending. -"you guys don't know what you want to do!" We're like "um, excuse me - what were you doing when you were 14? That's what I thought. You were picking your nose. We were selling records, and we were in a band." And not in a cocky way, just like "we know what we want to do." We're doing what we want to do.

I'm sure you get it a lot, but I want to talk about Mmmbop. It's the hit that launched you guys, and is probably the song that most would immediately associate you with. But listening to your new album The Walk, that impression really doesn't do you justice. Have you grown to hate the sound, like Radiohead couldn't stand "Creep" anymore and Nirvana wouldn't play "Smells Like Teen Spirit?"