Article: The Walk Tour returns to Orlando on Thursday

Hanson, the fair-haired trio of brothers who burst onto the pop scene with “MMMBop” in 1997, may not be the first band that comes to mind when thinking of raising political awareness.

Yet they’ve been on a year-long quest to raise awareness on poverty and AIDS in Africa.

Hanson started The Walk Around the World Tour in September 2007 and will finish up in November. In each city they visit during the tour, the band hosts a one-mile walk. They encourage fans to walk barefoot to experience what it’s like not to have a pair of shoes. The band also teamed up with TOMS Shoes and for every pair of shoes sold, the company will donate a pair to someone in need in Africa.

Article: Mmmmmm … Hanson

Hanson has come a long way since the days when the Grammy-nominated “MMMbop” filled the airwaves.
The trio has grown up not only physically, but after dealing with its fair share of hardships, including a drawn-out battle with then label Island Def Jam Records and oldest brother Issac’s bout with a pulmonary embolism — a blood clot that traveled to a lung — Hanson has also developed musically.
“It was scary,” Zac Hanson said of putting out their first album as an independent in more than 10 years, 2004’s “Underneath.”
“It was exciting, too. For us, we enjoy the idea of being out on our own. There’s a big difference between managing other people and doing it yourself.”
Hanson said that while the last album was very organic, drawing from such musical influences as Wilco and Travis, that “The Walk” is “a little harder, more of a rock record.”
Hardcore fans needn’t worry, though. Hanson ensures fans that the new album stays “true to Hanson sensibilities all the way.”