HANSON RELEASE LONG-AWAITED
FINALLY IT’S CHRISTMAS ALBUM OCTOBER 27th
On the heels of their 25th Anniversary celebration with sold-out concerts in Europe, Australia and Latin America on their Middle Of Everywhere World Tour and Greatest Hits release, pop-rock trio HANSON announce the October 27th release of their new Christmas album
FINALLY IT’S CHRISTMAS (3CG Records / S-Curve Records), followed by a limited number of special holiday concerts in Toronto, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. The concerts will feature new music from Finally It’s Christmas, as well as selections from the band’s debut Christmas release Snowed In, which is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary this year. FINALLY, IT’S CHRISTMAS will be available for pre-order beginning tomorrow at all DSPs as well as via the official Hanson.net store.
The new Christmas album, which features four original tracks, and eight updated classics, reunites the band with S-Curve President Steve Greenberg who originally signed the band to Mercury Records in 1996, as well as co-producer and writing partner Mark Hudson (Aerosmith, Ozzy Osborne, Ringo Starr) who also collaborated on the band’s beloved Christmas release Snowed In. Adding to the production pedigree of the release are engineer and mixer CJ Eiriksson (Jacks Mannequin, U2, Phish, Matchbox 20), with the title and select tracks mixed by veteran chart-topper Tom Lord-Alge (U2, Rolling Stones, Billy Joel, The Wallflowers).
In contrast with the sentimentality of many Christmas releases, HANSON bring an organic rock ‘n’ roll energy to the album, featuring iconic favorites like Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas”, Stevie Wonder’s “Someday At Christmas” and Aretha Franklin’s “Winter Wonderland”, along with a re-imagined arrangement of Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmas Time” and lively renditions of modern classics like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas”. The album’s original songs, like the title track and “‘Til New Years Night” burst with celebratory energy, layered vocal arrangements calling to mind the Beach Boys and British invasion-era guitar riffs, while “Peace On Earth” highlights the band’s earnest lyrics and powerful melodies. The album is not without sentimentality, entirely, closing out with an intimate rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, with guitarist Isaac singing lead on the Judy Garland classic, and a soulful gospel medley of two well-known songs from the Christmas Hymnal, “Go Tell It On The Mountain” and “Joy To The World”.
Like HANSON’s signature work on their studio albums, the band effortlessly fuses soulful melody with tight musical arrangements and a genuine reverence for their musical heritage, creating an endearing and impressive work fit for the intimacy of your living room, or the excitement of a large celebration with friends and family this Christmas.
HANSON is about to begin the North American leg of their epic Middle Of Everywhere 25th Anniversary World Tour, embarking tonight at Dallas, TX’s sold out House of Blues and then continuing through December. Nearly a complete sell out, the trek – which will feature performances of the group’s most widely known material alongside fan favorites encompassing their extensive catalog – will culminate with a series of holiday themed concerts in Toronto, New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. For complete ticket information and other news, please see hanson.net/tours-events.
HANSON ON TOUR 2017
SEPTEMBER
12 – Dallas, TX – House Of Blues SOLD OUT
13 – Austin, TX – Emos East
15 – New Orleans, LA – Joy Theater SOLD OUT
16 – Nashville, TN – Wildhorse Saloon SOLD OUT
17 – Birmingham, AL – Iron City SOLD OUT
19 – St. Petersburg, FL – Jannus Live
20 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theater SOLD OUT
22 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz SOLD OUT
23 – Norfolk, VA – Norva SOLD OUT
24 – Silver Spring, MD – The Fillmore SOLD OUT
26 – Cleveland, OH – House Of Blues SOLD OUT
27 – Pittsburgh PA – Carnegie Musical Hall SOLD OUT
28 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore SOLD OUT
30 – New York, NY – Playstation Theater SOLD OUT
OCTOBER
1 – Boston, MA – House Of Blues SOLD OUT
3 – Montreal QC – Corona
4 – Toronto, ON – Danforth Music Hall SOLD OUT
6 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews SOLD OUT
7 – Chicago, IL – House Of Blues SOLD OUT
8 – Grand Rapids, MI – 20 Monroe Live SOLD OUT
10 – Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue SOLD OUT
11 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant SOLD OUT
12 – Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater SOLD OUT
14 – Denver, CO – Summit Music Hall SOLD OUT
15 – Salt Lake City, UT – Depot
17 – Seattle, WA – The Neptune SOLD OUT
18 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theater SOLD OUT
19 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater SOLD OUT
21 – Anaheim, CA – House Of Blues SOLD OUT
22 – Los Angeles, CA – The Mayan SOLD OUT
24 – San Diego, CA – House Of Blues
25 – Las Vegas, NV – House Of Blues
27 – Houston, TX – House Of Blues
30 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – Eat To The Beat Concert @ Epcot Food & Wine Festival
31 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – Eat To The Beat Concert @ Epcot Food & Wine Festival
NOVEMBER
1- Lake Buena Vista, FL – Eat To The Beat Concert @ Epcot Food & Wine Festival
25 – Toronto, ON – Queen Elizabeth Theatre *
28 – New York, NY – Playstation Theater *
29 – New York, NY – Playstation Theater *
DECEMBER
1 – Chicago, IL – House Of Blues *
3 – Chicago, IL – House Of Blues *
6 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern *
* FINALLY, IT’S CHRISTMAS CONCERTS
This past Friday saw the eagerly anticipated arrival of Hanson’s first-ever career anthology, MIDDLE OF EVERYWHERE – THE GREATEST HITS, available now at all music retailers and streaming services. A wide array of editions is on offer, including digital download, CD, and nostalgic cassette pressings. In addition, a range ofMIDDLE OF EVERYWHERE merchandise – spanning t-shirts and bucket hats to a hardcover photo book and an extremely limited 25th Anniversary “Hansonopoly” Pewter Piece Game set – is available now athanson.net/store.
MIDDLE OF EVERYWHERE – THE GREATEST HITS collects 25 songs from Hanson’s six studio albums along with the acclaimed new single, “I Was Born”. The track received immediate critical applause, with NPR Musicdeclaring it simply “fantastic…a gloriously rousing, life-affirming top-down anthem that’s virtually impossible to resist – seriously, if (“I Was Born” is) not in a car commercial by this time next week, every ad agency in America will have fallen down on the job.”
“I Was Born” is accompanied by a very special companion video, featuring eleven of the band’s twelve children and streaming now at Hanson’s official YouTube channel.
Isaac, Taylor, and Zac Hanson founded Hanson in 1992 and have spent the past 25 years on one of the most surprising, creative, and popular journeys in contemporary music history. The Tulsa, OK-based trio’s remarkable quarter-century in public life has been commemorated with major media coverage including The Washington Post and PEOPLE, which marked the anniversary with an exclusive “Track by Track” look atMIDDLE OF EVERYWHERE – THE GREATEST HITS, noting, “The brothers have conquered a number of adult-sized hurdles together over the past two and a half decades in a valiant, successful effort to create soul-, R&B-, rock-, blues-, Motown- (and yes, pop-) inspired music on their own terms, from…starting their own indie label 3CG Records, to traveling to Africa and using their experiences and perfectly harmonized voices to spread awareness about deep issues far outside of themselves.”
