When you think of Hanson, you probably wouldn’t expect the sibling pop trio of “MMMBop” fame to cover a song by a late British folk artist with a passionate cult following. The Hanson brothers have done just that, though, releasing their own version of the 1971 Nick Drake gem “Pink Moon.”
“Pink Moon” is one of two newly recorded tracks that will be featured on an upcoming expanded, 20th anniversary reissue of the group’s 2004 studio album, Underneath. Underneath: Complete will be released on October 4. The collection will feature seven rare recordings from the original album sessions, as well as the aforementioned “Pink Moon” cover. It also will include an updated version of Underneath’s lead single, “Penny & Me.”
[RELATED: 3 Songs You Didn’t Know Hanson Wrote for Other Artists]
“Nick Drake’s hypnotic music made a deep impression on us while we were writing and recording Underneath,” lead singer Taylor Hanson said in a statement. “So much so that ‘Pink Moon’ is referenced in the lyrics of our song ‘Penny and Me.’ As we celebrate the Underneath album’s 20th anniversary, we are thrilled to be able to share our rendition of ‘Pink Moon,’ because by sharing music we love we are also sharing a special part of our own musical story.”
Hanson’s rendition of “Pink Moon” is available now as an advance digital track. The group also has premiered an animated video for the sparsely arranged, introspective song on YouTube.
Taylor Hanson Talks About “Pink Moon”
In a podcast segment posted on Hanson.net, Taylor Hanson discussed what inspired them to record a version of “Pink Moon.”
“A friend of ours [a stylist named Kristen who was touring with Hanson] introduced us to Nick Drake in the year 2000,” he explained. “[She] was playing Nick Drake one time, and we were on the road, [and] I thought, ‘What is that?’ and we just kind of fell in love with it. … [And] in the early 2000s, Nick Drake became just like a cool artist, alongside David Gray, alongside these emerging artists like Travis and Coldplay.”
He continued, “And so, as we were making Underneath, it was really that there was this whole wave of sort of textural, moody, introspective writing [out there]. And, of course, we come from R&B, from Motown … from big arrangements and stuff, and I remember [Kristen] said, ‘You guys should record a song like this.’ … And I said to her, ‘I always hear all the other stuff. It’s really hard to go this simple.’ And it’s literally [taken] 20 years to be able to go this simple.”
As for Drake’s influence on “Penny & Me,” Taylor noted that the 2004 Hanson tune “was written already referencing and knowing and loving Nick Drake.”
More About “Pink Moon”
“Pink Moon” was the title track of Drake’s third and final studio album, which was released in 1972. Sadly, Nick died by suicide in 1974 at age 26. Although he received very little attention for his music during his life, Drake’s work found a much wider audience when “Pink Moon” was featured in a popular 1999 Volkswagen car commercial.
In another podcast segment posted on the Hanson website, Isaac Hanson said that music video for their version of “Pink Moon” was partly inspired by the Volkswagen ad.
About the Underneath Album
Underneath was Hanson’s fourth studio album, and the group’s first to be recorded for their own independent label, 3CG. The album peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard 200.
Hanson’s Upcoming Tour Celebrating Underneath’s 20th Anniversary
Hanson are set to launch a new trek celebrating the 20th anniversary Underneath and the release of the deluxe reissue. the Underneath: Experience Tour 2024 will feature two-night stands in a variety of cities, with the first night featuring an acoustic performance and the second offering an electric show.
The tour kicks off with an October 3-4 engagement in Minneapolis and is mapped out through a November 10-11 stand in Los Angeles. Matthew Sweet and Phantom Planet will open the first and second shows, respectively, at each stop of the trek.
You can check out the full list of tour dates at Hanson.net.
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