October 24, 2004 - After a breakup with their major label (Island/Def Jam) July through October brought a quiet storm that swept though the U.S. called Hanson. During their summer tour for their new independent album, Underneath, the once blond, once teenage, once poppy band has a new message they are bringing to their peers and fans at concerts and college campus’ and it isn’t MMM Bop.
Taylor Hanson stood beside the Trojan statue at the USC campus using an expletive, trying to rally young America to take a stand for what he terms is the c*** on America’s airwaves.
Are You Listening is not only a lyric from their recent single, Lost Without Each Other, but the key phrase for their new campaign that they spoke of in a recent interview; When asked about what they were trying to say there wasn’t a moments hesitation from him before he began to explain how the current generation is being defined by music that does not define who we are.
He used an example saying that when our children grow older they’re going to look back at our generation and the artists who stand out are going to be the big acts like Britney Spears and Good Charlotte, the ones who are built up by the major record labels to sell.
Taylor hanson, now a father of two himself He continues that in the current form of the music industry the entertainers only support in the business comes from people who know numbers but don’t know music. It seems their aim is to get the word out that the industry should be more about the music and less about the business.
With the start of this campaign, a new documentry on the horizon and even a website touting the Are You Listening? stamp,it appears they are planning on no longer being just a band – they are looking at becoming the beginning of a music revolution.

Bono (U2)

"I'll tell you one of my favourite songs, ever - Hanson. One of my favourite songs of all time. [They're] an amazing band."

Bob Weir (Grateful Dead)

"Hanson are the real thing. It'll be interesting to see if the youth of America want music that speaks to them and not for them, or if they want candy-coated horseshit. They're gonna be giants in American music if they continue their trajectory. They have a couple of advantages that almost no one ever gets. They've been playing together since they were tots and they have a sibling vocal blend that's just so tight and so great-sounding that it's just a joy to listen to. They have a great deal of respect for American musical tradition and they ask all the right questions. The last couple times I've met them, you know, they're all over me about this tune and that tune and where did it come from? Who is Rev. Gary Davis, that kind of stuff. They remind me of me when I was a kid. If they want any advice or any direction from me, they've got my number.”

Adam Duritz (Counting Crows)

"I like the new Hanson record too. There are some good songs on it. There are some really good songs on it. I hear this acoustic tour they've been on is killer too. Wish i'd seen it."

Eminem

"Why the f**k would I hate Hanson? They're the only f**king real band out there. I mean I don't like that kind of music or anything, but they're f**king real."

Thom Yorke (Radiohead)

"If you want to be entertained, go and see Hanson."

Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue)

“Hanson has the spirit and the balls to not only reinvent themselves, but do it on their own terms.”

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