MSNBC.com
07 September 2008
[Original Article]

Hanson weighs in on The Jonas Brothers

‘I think they seem like really talented guys,’ says Taylor Hanson

Over a dozen years ago, the three cherubic-faced brothers of Hanson took over America with their blend of pop sounds and the irresistibly catchy chorus of “MMMBop!”

Since then, the band has turned what could have been just a blip on the pop culture radar into a lasting career. But what do Taylor, Isaac and the youngest Hanson, Zac (who is now 22), think of the Jonas Brothers, who seem to be charting a similar rise as a brotherly group?

“On the musical side, I think there’s very little similarity between us and the Jonas Brothers but I think they seem like really talented guys,” Taylor Hanson told Access Hollywood. “They care about each other.”

Taylor, who is currently on tour with his brothers, said he has nothing but encouragement for Wycoff, New Jersey’s Jonas Brothers, who recently released their new album, “A Little Bit Longer.”

“(I) just really wish them a lot of luck,” Taylor continued. “I hope they can translate what they’ve done into a career — a long career — in a similar way that we’ve been able to for many years. It’s a great privilege to be able to have this be your career.”

And Taylor wasn’t the only one with kind words for the Jonas brethren.

“I wish them all the best in the world,” guitarist and eldest Hanson brother Isaac said. “It’s a hard job and they’re definitely packing a lot in.”

Though they are chart toppers thanks to catchy pop riffs and their handsome features, the Jonas Brothers could face a rocky road ahead. Plenty of pop groups have been forgotten along the way or fallen into dangerous habits.

The Jonas’, however, may have that extra something special to carry them through, Taylor noted.

“One clear thing the Jonas Brothers actually have going for them is they have written their own songs,” Taylor said. “I think what you see a lot of times, unfortunately people like Britney Spears or people that seem to go off the rails when they started out, it wasn’t really their deal.

“For us, people used to joke like, ‘We couldn’t stop you guys from doing it if we wanted to,’” Taylor continued. “When we were young, it was our songs, it was our show, it was our attitude, it was our vision for music videos… For better or worse it was always us. So instead of us waking up in a drunken stupor (years later) and realizing someone stole our money, we started off doing what we wanted and we continued.”

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