It’s the summer of 1997, and grunge and Lilith filled the radio airwaves. Boy bands were not a thing (yet). But three brothers from Oklahoma had us focusing on lyrics that we didn’t understand; in a Mmmbop we can relate to their songs now that we have had life experiences that makes this album a classic.
About a month ago I received an opportunity to speak to Issac Hanson, guitarist of the band Hanson for Finding Connecticut. I had about 4 days to prep for the interview. Naturally, I went back in time and listen to the Middle of Nowhere album. I wasn’t sure if it was the nostalgia that brought me back to one of the best summers of my life or the fact that 25+ years later this album is more relatable than ever. I was not sure who I was going to be speaking with – the email I received just said, “Hanson” – was it going to be all 3? Zac? Taylor? Issac? – My inner 14-year-old didn’t know what to do with herself.
One thing about this interview I had with Issac Hanson is how humble he really is. We talked about how back in ’97 how isolating life was for the band and how difficult it was to live a normal life. (Okay, this is where I should mention that he took time from his kid’s baseball tournaments to talk to me). We talked about living in New York and Los Angeles vs life in America’s Heartland. All three brothers preferred basic living in Oklahoma. All three Hanson brothers are married with kids now.
I mentioned how Middle of Nowhere is one of those albums that has been with me over the last 25 years. Like Before These Crowded Streets, Jagged Little Pill, Automatic for the People, Middle of Nowhere is one of those albums that is like one of your best friends. When you dive deep into the album it’s not just a pop album, it’s one of those albums that is filled with a variety of different elements. I am very curious if they would rerecord it at some point in time. Issac and I did discuss if they were going to release the album on vinyl. He told me it’s being hung up with their old label (sigh). Because of that, makes me wonder if there is a possible rerecord in the future.
As for Zac, Taylor, and Issac. They are still around. Their RGB album is more of a solo project for each band member. I remember when Apple Music alerted me that this album was available and it was not what I was expecting. But Hanson was never the type to really sing bubble-gum pop music. Their songs about fighting the good fight and giving a different perspective on life stands true to who they really are as a band.
In case you missed Mmmbop 2.0 you can catch the video here.
The weirdest thing happened this weekend. I was going through some old papers that were mostly old college projects and syllabi and sandwiched in between the start of my graphic design journey was the Middle of Nowhere cd jacket. There were no other cd jackets, just this one that seemed to have lost its way from my other CDs, and found a new home in between projects I created in Adobe Photoshop 7, Illustrator 10, and Bryce.
You can read the interview I had with Issac Hanson here.
