Band of Brothers

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Oct. 1, 2004 | 8:50 a.m.

Isaac Hanson was 16 years old when hit single "MMMBop" propelled pop trio Hanson to instant stardom. His brothers Taylor and Zach were 14 and 11, respectively.

It's easy to assume, then, that despite the group's many Las Vegas visits, the three young musicians have had little opportunity to sample the Strip's adult-oriented entertainment.

Not so, says Isaac.

"The funny thing is, most of the time we can find a way," he explained in a recent phone interview from his hometown of Tulsa, Okla. "I hate to admit to breaking the law ... but sometimes it's extra cool to be in a band."

Hanson returns to Southern Nevada this weekend for a Saturday show at the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tyler Hilton, a budding singer-songwriter from Palm Springs, Calif., opens.

Much has changed for the Hanson brothers since "MMMBop" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the spring of 1997.

Isaac is now 23, Taylor is 21 and Zach turns 19 later this month. Taylor has been married for more than two years and has a child. All three rent apartments in New York City, splitting time between Manhattan and Tulsa when they aren't on tour.

Hanson has also released two albums since its multiplatinum-selling debut, "Middle of Nowhere": 2000's "This Time Around" and April's "Underneath."

Those discs haven't made an "MMMBop"-sized impact in record stores, but they have dispelled the notion that the trio might have been a short-term teen novelty act.

Isaac said he never worried about such a perception.

"If you read the reviews, everything that was written over the years was constantly referencing that we were very aware of what we were doing and were focused on 10 years and not tomorrow," Isaac said.

"I mean, sure, there were journalists who didn't understand how or where we were. But we just kind of poked fun at them because we found it amusing that they were so higher-than-thou."

The three young musicians have taken a most grown-up approach to their latest CD, opting to leave major labels behind and release "Underneath" on their own independent imprint, 3GC Records.

Hanson arrived at that decision after a series of industry mergers left them in unfamiliar surroundings at Island Records.

"We basically lost everyone from Mercury (Records) who had originally signed us that understood us as a band, the fact that we were obviously young guys but nonetheless a band with a long-term mindset," Isaac said. "And by losing that focus and understanding, we ended up in a situation where we were fighting an uphill battle."

Isaac said the independent label provides Hanson with more control over its music, particularly in the ways it is marketed.

"Word of mouth is way more important than millions of dollars spent marketing," he said. "Because I will go out and buy a Norah Jones record or a Coldplay record or a Wilco record before I hear a single note on the radio."

Despite his conviction in his band's new arrangement, however, Isaac doesn't expect lots of other musicians to move in a similar direction.

"I don't think every artist will take that on, because it takes someone who's kind of crazy," he said.

"It is a very overwhelming situation to put yourself in. Luckily, I'm in a band with two other guys who really pull their own weight and have the skills and abilities to compensate for my weaknesses."

Upon its release, "Underneath" immediately raced to the top spot on Billboard's Top Independent Album chart. First single "Penny & Me" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, just one slot shy of the peak position once occupied by "MMMBop."

But Isaac said he and his brothers are not particularly concerned with achieving that ultimate high again, instead choosing to focus on a fanbase that "screams almost as loud as they did six or seven years ago."

"The artist-audience relationship is the most valuable thing, and anything you can do to fuel the long-term potential of that relationship is of value to you," he said.

Seven years after achieving the kind of success many musicians spend a lifetime dreaming of, the eldest member of Hanson has an even-keel approach to his profession.

"Careers are like roller coasters," he said. "You go up, you go down and you spin yourself around."

Lyrics to a future Hanson hit?