Interviewer = X,MIsaac = I,MTaylor = T,MZachary = Z
TV Hits
T: We're friends who are brothers. The good thing about it is if we tried to break up, we'd still be in the same house, so it'd be impossible! We've always sung together and I think it's like a built-in thing.
Z: Guys, I've got it. It's frubithers!!
I: What's that?
Z: Friend-Brothers!
I: Okay. Instead of thinking up weird words, answer the question!
T: Like, when Ike started singing, we were all there, and then I started singing, too, and so did Zac, and because we were all around each other, we started singing together.
I: It also makes rehearsals easier, because we're all living in the same house. There's no like, 'I'm driving to Johnny's house, see ya later!' Can you imagine us, you know, at 11 years old, 'Mum, I'm going round to Billy's house to work on a song. See ya!'? It wouldn't totally work.
T: And it's helped us starting young because it means our parents have been able to keep an eye on us! Anyway, there's never been anyone else involved.
Z: Apart from the guy, Chak.
I: He's Zac's twin retarded brother, who we keep in the closet. He comes up with good songs, though!
T: Yeah, he came up with MmmBop, With You In Your Dreams...
Z: He basically comes up with all the songs, Chak does, and we don't do anything.
T: He looks a bit the same as Zac, but I think he's a little handsomer!
Z: Jerk! Jerk!
X: Do you still all get along really well?
T: I would say we get on really well, yeah. We do spend an awful lot
of time together, but because there are always so many people around us, the rest of the family and record company people, it's not like it's just the three of us. If it was like that it might get a little intense...
Z: We're really best friends though.
I: We always have been. Nothing's been changed, except now we go all around the world together!
X: You must argue sometimes...
T: Sure, everybody argues. If we didn't it wouldn't be very healthy. Everybody has their good days and bad days, and if I'm tired it might find these guys a bit annoying - I'm sure the same applies to them! We bicker a bit, but we don't seriously argue.
I: I mean, basically we all have interests. We all love art, we all love music and we think the same kind of things and stuff like that. Even though Zac is five years younger than me, we've got the same thing going on, which is pretty unusual.
Z: We think the same way. (makes alien noises)
I: And that's what makes songs unique - the combination of all our ideas put together gives the songs different flavors. Sometimes, someone just throws in a link and we're all like, 'Wow,' and it just kinda takes the song to a different spot. That's kinda what's cool about what we do.
X: Even though you love hanging out together, do you think you'd spend this much time with each other if you weren't in the band?
I: Well, yeah, but in a different way.
Z: Probably not quite as much time.
I: We'd still be good friends, we'd always be around each other.
T: But not quite as much time because we'd see more of our own friends.
I: But I think being in the band has been very cool, because you're tighter with your brothers -- and hey, your brother's always gonna be there, but your friends might kinda go, 'Bye, bye!' Who knows?
X: Do you all have a similar sense of humor, then?
T: Pretty much. Zac is probably the most bold about it and Ike does
voices. I don't do either one. I just laugh at them!
I: Tay's pretty much the clever one.
T: I can think of clever jokes at times, but I'm not really goofy or anything.
X: Didn't you ever drive your parents mad?
I: Actually no, not really. I mean, we would go down to our garage
because we kinda felt bad 'cause we were entrenching the house with this noise...
T: And we liked the fact we could be down in our own little area. But they could still hear us!
I: The garage is actually on the long-form video that's about to come out. Basically, it shows the stairs and the entrance into the garage and you can see where we've drawn and written all over the walls, as well as doing music, of course!
T: And the flower from the MmmBop video, we've put it in the corner of the room and there's a seat under it. It's really cool, but we haven't been back there much since about April. We've been so busy...
X: Most of the family seems to be here today. Do they go away with you all the time?
T: Yep. The whole family comes - they love it, it's cool.
I: I
think they're really proud. They've always been 100 percent behind us. I think without them sticking by us we really wouldn't be able to do it - without their support, Hanson wouldn't exist.
T: Even the people you get behind you, the record company and the managers, they're on your side, but nobody really cares - it's just their job. But our parents are really into it, so we're really lucky.
X: And your dad makes a mean sandwich! Do they all come and watch when you play a concert?
I: Of course! (laughs) We're not going to be saying, 'We're going to the concert, bye!' They're all incolced in it so they wanna come along.
T: When we used to play locally they used to be on the merchandise table selling T-shirts and whatever!
Z: And our younger brothers and sisters come too, - they're so into it!
Do you still get to see much of your friends these days?
T: We see our friends whenever we can. When we played in New York we invited about seven of our friends up and we hung out for several days while we were there - we thought, 'What the heck, we'll fly 'em up!' They had a lot of fun. In fact, some of our friends hadn't even flown before!
I: The New York concert is on the video as well, and our friends are in the audience.
Z: Unfortunately, someone was holding up a big sign in front of them so they couldn't see much!
T: But they didn't paint our names on their faces like some of the people there! Oh yeah, and they ended up grabbing the sign off those fans and holding it themselves! They got weirded out a while ago though, 'cause there was this rumor
going around that we were in a car-wreck in France and Zac had died! They announced it on the radio all over the States, so our friends were calling each other up and saying, 'How can they be dead? I just spoke to them!'
Z: I wasn't actually dead. I was just in a coma!
T: So, how does it feel to be in a coma, Zac?
Z: I don't know, I can't hear you! (all laugh). I'm in another world. I feel weird!!!
X: Do any of you ever think, I just wanna get away from these two and be on my own?
T: Yeah, of course. But you just walk out of the room - it's not like you can't!
Z: My arm is molded into his head - I can't leave!!
I: It's not like we don't have time to ourselves if we want it - you just go to the other room or something.
T: We do a lot of drawing and art and we write songs and do schoolwork, and it's nice to be on your own to do that. This studio we're in right now is so big that there's always space to get away from each other, and 'cause it's right in the middle of the countryside, we've all been going for walks in the country when we need to get our heads together!
X: If one of you was a girl, would things be different?
T: Yes, it would be different!
I: First of all, I'd have boobs! Aaarrgh! No, part of who we are is that we're guys and we have this thing going on...
T: If one of us was a girl, it'd be a whole different thing - something else would be destined for us, I guess.
I: That's a scary thought, actually.
T: Yeah, 'cause you'd be the ugliest girl I've ever seen!
I: That's very true, Taylor!
X: Seeing as we're celebrating our birthday here at TV HITS, we thought we'd ask our fantastic cover stars to talk to us about their favorite birthday moments. Can you remember what you all did on your last birthday?
I: My last one must have been boring 'cause I don't remember it!
Z: On my last birthday we were camping out - freezing, since my birthday's October 22. We camped out in the wilderness and froze our butts off, not to mention the rocks sticking to our backs when we were trying to sleep! It was cool.
T: I can't remember... oh yeah, we went to all the Star Wars movies in one day! We watched the first one by ourselves and then went to our friend's house right next to the theatre, had lunch, and then he came with us to watch the middle one and the last one. Afterwards we couldn't take anymore, even though we love those movies - we've got all the originals on video.
X: What would be the best birthday present you could ever have?
Z: A motorbike, which I'm going to get this year.
T: Zac hopes!
Z: Yeah, a dirt bike.
T: The best present would be a big digital Mackie Board (a mixing board) 'cause we have a very small studio set-up. We really want to get something more high-tech than that, like a sampler, a computer, and a Mackie Board.
I: Yeah I'll go for that, too!
X: If you were having a birthday party, who would you invite?
Z: A motorbike. Or Jabba the Hut from Star Wars!
I: Since we met Cindy Crawford not that long ago, we could invite her! I always
would've said Cindy Crawford, but now we've met her and it was awesome.
T: I'd just invite my friends and if they happened to be famous then great, but if they weren't, that's great, too.
X: Do you think Hanson will still be around for TV HITS' 200th birthday?
Z: Um, in eight years' time? I really hope so.
T: I hope we'll be doing exactly what we're doing now.
I: I think that's always going to be the goal for me - to be in the band for as long as possible, whether we're selling a lot of records or not. I mean, the music is so much about what you love and who you are - why would we want to stop?