This month, Zac Hanson turns 26. That means Hanson’s youngest member, who was 12 when the Mmmboppers first found fame in 1997, has been famous longer than he hasn’t.
“I really didn’t decide to be in this band consciously until I was 15 and our second major label record was coming out,” Hanson tells Metro. “It was just who I was and part of what I did and something I’d always done.”
Remarkably, the band of brothers surpassed being one-hit teenybop wonders a long time ago. Instead, the trio carved out a respected career as musicians. Their fifth studio album “Shout It Out” was released last winter.
“We are not one-hit wonders because of a stubborn perseverance to continue to do what we love doing,” says Hanson. “When we were kids, people would ask us stupid questions like. ‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’ It was so frustrating. People, give me a little respect! I am 12 but I’m here working! We would always say stuff, it sounded silly at the time, but I would say, ‘Just think of us as old guys with really high voices.’ We knew at that point that whether we were playing on a street corner or playing the Hollywood Bowl, we are going to be doing this for years and years and years until we’re old and gray.”
‘This Time Around’ again
For this fall’s Musical Ride Tour, Hanson have invited fans to vote online to choose which album the band will play that night. Though every album is getting nods, the one that stands out and is being played most is their second proper major label record, “This Time Around.”
“I think that’s because that’s the record where people knew we were serious and that we weren’t going away,” says Zac. “For me, it’s because that’s when people became hardcore fans.”
