Hanson have lined up a thirteen-date tour, with the sibling trio playing more intimate venues with their instruments unplugged. The tour will launch August 9th in Towson, Maryland. A second set of dates will be announced later this year.

The brothers Hanson -- singer/keyboardist Taylor, guitarist Isaac and drummer Zac -- will be plugging their new album, tentatively titled Underneath, which they hope to release this fall. The new set has been in the work for more than two years, with Hanson teaming up with a handful of collaborators, including Carole King ("Let You Go" and "One More Time"), the Barenaked Ladies' Ed Robertson ("Never Love Again") and Matthew Sweet ("Underneath" and "I Almost Care."

"There's a reckless abandon on this record," Taylor told Rolling Stone after the band collaborated with Sweet. "A sense that we're not going to overthink things. I wanna leave space for people to hear the parts, the grit of the guitar or the driving rhythms. Not to say it's not gonna be tight and that the songs won't be pop . . . I love writing songs with that hook, like every Big Star song."

Hanson tour dates:

8/9: Towson, MD, Recher Theater
8/10: Philadelphia, North Star
8/12: Cambridge, MA, Middle East Club
8/13: New York, TBA
8/15: Clifton Park, NY, Northern Lights
8/16: Toronto, The Guvernment
8/18: Detroit, Millstreet Entry
8/20: Chicago, Schubas
8/21: Minneapolis, Ascot Room at Quest
8/24: Denver, Soiled Drive
8/25: Las Vegas, House of Blues
8/27: San Francisco, Slim's
8/28: West Hollywood, Roxy Theater

ANDREW DANSBY
(July 8, 2003)