July
25, 2007
Taylor Hanson, Musician
Yesterday saw the release of The Walk, the 7th studio album from Hanson.
Yes, that Hanson. Over a decade has passed since "MMMBop" hit
the airwaves, and now the Hanson boys are all grown up into men. Men who
rock!
Gothamist sat down with Taylor Hanson recently to discuss crazy
fans, drag queens, and raising kids. Tonight he and his brothers play
Webster Hall.
What's some of the craziest fan behavior that you've encountered
over the years?
We've had a lot of people get tattoos. People will get a tattoo on their
ankle or hip, and one particular fan had a larger than life sized image
of my face tattooed on her back. She was very proud of it and would
show it off in public, but creepier than the tattoo itself was the whole
vibe that went with it. It's one thing to get a tattoo and it's an entirely
different matter to cover your entire back.
At this stage, everyone in the band is married and you and
Isaac even have children. How has this change affected your music and
does that come through on the latest record?
I don't know if it's directly affected the music. It's changed our lives
a lot in the sense that we have a whole different set of dynamics every
day, whether we're on the road or making a new record. More than anything,
it just makes every moment that we're living much more packed and full
of activity.
Years from now, should we expect some sort of pan-generational
Hanson super group?
I like the idea of a super group. My kids are pretty musical in their
own way, so I think only time will tell.
How do you start off with introducing your kids to music?
The first thing I introduced my son to were bands like The Beatles,
Queen, and Nick Drake. Just great, classic music. If Mozart is supposed
to make babies think better, then I'm sure Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin,
and The Beatles sure can't hurt.
The Beatles, Queen, and Nick Drake all had their careers touched
by tragedy. What do you do when your son asks, "Where's Nick Drake
now?"
You know, that's not really the first thing a four year old asks, so
I haven't really had to handle that one yet.
What's your strangest "Only in New York" moment?
We were at an after party where it was basically a drag queen and her
posse at this party. It was complete mayhem. We were supposed to be
at another place across town, but we didn't have any cash, credit cards,
or anything and literally had to beg from different people at the party,
all of who were fully in drag. Just hardcore transvestite mode. It was
extremely awkward finding our way to the other side of town where I
later had to do the same thing with another complete group of strangers.
It wasn't really that crazy, but it makes me think that there's really
no other place where you can go from some drag queen crazy party after
an indie film to some obscure fashion event with no money and having
to beg from strangers from totally different cultures. That situation
just doesn't present itself in most places.
Given the opportunity, how would you change New York?
I'd plant more trees. Having lived in New York, I love the city, but
there's just not enough oxygen being made. Sometimes you look around
and it just feels like your suffocating.
Which New Yorker do you most admire?
John Lennon. He represents the part of New York that acts like a magnet,
attracting people from every culture.
What would you consider a perfect day of recreation in the
city?
Going down to Central Park and playing some Frisbee or some other outdoor
activity. A stop over at the MOMA. Grab an interesting lunch at Union
Square, something with fried plantains maybe. Some shopping, and then
catch a cool show downtown somewhere, like at The Blue Note.