Written by Chris Easom and originally published here.
For several years Hanson have dropped hints about their next big musical project.
String Theory was conceived long before The Middle Of Everywhere Tour took off, as Hanson contemplated a symphonized tour for their celebration of 25 years, in 25 cities, with 25 symphonies and their songs given a full orchestral work out.
Their idea received a great response from musician friends, promoters and orchestras and as Hanson considered the possibilities, they saw the potential for what could be a more extensive endeavour. So their celebration became the Middle Of Everywhere Tour 2017 and their orchestral manoeuvres were put on hold.
As String Theory was revisited, Hanson, while excited to push the boundaries, seemed unsure of what it actually was. It is possible that their invitation to fans to answer the question ‘What Is String Theory?’ was less a conundrum than a real expression of – We are not sure!!
The outline story for the project came together after the band had an adventure with post it notes which revealed a timeline of Hanson music that captured significant moments in their career to date.
And listening to the band, these inspirational moments will touch on musical, professional and personal milestones along a road less travelled, one which has proved their instincts right – and one that has made all the difference.
Recently Hanson talked in more detail about String Theory describing it as a new work. The musical content spans their entire official catalogue, songs previously only released to their fan club membership and new songs that have never been heard. This combination of material, with their musical and lyrical DNA will as Zac Hanson said, set out to tell the story of the “Etymology of Hanson” itself. Just like a book, “read all the words from start to end it will tell you something” Taylor Hanson. The ‘book’ will feature 20 plus songs and it will become a double album – good news for everyone excited by this band’s musical output.
Hanson, who talk of finding it a “little frightening” are not taking this big undertaking lightly. Every day they work a little longer and harder to prepare what must be one of their biggest ventures. However in 2010/2011 they did perform 5 albums on 5 consecutive nights in two cities and so with that as a reference they know that “anything is possible” Zac Hanson.
Hard at work in the studio preparing the String Theory recording. It’s hard to believe we will be sharing this musical project next month! pic.twitter.com/Vd0KJWtOEf
— HANSON (@hansonmusic) 8 June 2018
Hanson have released dates for String Theory as Symphony Orchestras have released their 2018-2019 schedules. So far the following US shows have been announced, with more international and US dates coming in July. The US leg of this tour will be mostly in the Autumn with international appearances in the Spring 2019.
July 14th Columbus, OH, US – Columbus Symphony @ Bicentennial Stage – Columbus Commons
August 2nd Pittsburgh, PA, US – Pittsburgh Symphony @ Heinz Hall
August 4th Vienna, VA, US – National Symphony Orchestra @ Wolf Trap
September 8th Denver, CO, US – Denver Symphony @ Boettcher Concert Hall
October 20th Atlanta, GA, US – Atlanta Symphony @ Atlanta Symphony Hall
October 21st Nashville, TN, US – Nashville Symphony @ Schermerhorn Symphony Center
January 5th Fort Worth, TX, US – Fort Worth Symphony @ Bass Performance Hall
May 17th Tulsa, OK, US – Tulsa Symphony @ Tulsa Performing Arts Centre
Hanson have promised a String Theory experience that is musically spectacular and we believe them. Their music has both simplicity and depth. It has space for variation and just as the meaning of lyrics can change over time, so can the mindset of the artist to reshape and rearrange familiar tunes into something new, especially with Oscar winning composer David Campbell as a guide.
Campbell’s classical training led to a keen interest in orchestration within rock and pop music and he contributed to Motown classics in the early 70’s, playing with some of Hanson’s favourite artists including Marvin Gaye, Aretha Franklin and Bill Withers. Campbell has composed, orchestrated and arranged music for many film scores with some notable mentions being ‘Brokeback Mountain’ and ‘Dead Man Walking’.
With just the sounds of these ringing in our ears, we are very excited to hear how, in his hands, Hanson’s music reveals its layers, textures and many treasures.
Hanson have called String Theory a “musical manifesto”.
Hanson have never been afraid to paint their colours loud and proud and declare who they are. Maybe in this manifesto there is serious intent to make a statement by bringing together 25 years of passionate, creative doing, dreaming and giving away of a gift in the hope of making a difference.
Maybe String Theory will write the next chapter of Hanson’s career, open new doors, alter perceptions and clarify the truth about these three amazing musicians. For those who already have eyes to see and ears to hear, String Theory is an amazing adventure on the horizon to be very excited about. For those who have yet to get with the program, we smile like Kevin Costner in Field Of Dreams, knowing that something very special is right in front of them.
Credit to Hanson at www.Hanson.net for the Weekly Picture used in this piece.