Jeff Hanson

Listen to "If I Only Knew" from Madam Owl

Whereas past records at times seemed content to let Hanson’s splendid soprano take center stage, Madam Owl marks the first Hanson record in which the backing instrumentation has attempted to match his voice in sheer sumptuousness. Working in Portland, Oregon with producer/engineer Rob Bartelson and a cast of nearly a dozen supporting musicians Hanson’s gossamer acoustic guitar work is dressed up in high style throughout. Whether it’s the bouncy banjo fills and triumphant trumpet blasts punctuating the chorus of “If I Only Knew” or the lightly brushed drums and earthy keyboard grooves underpinning the verses in “The Last Thing I’ll Do,” Madam Owl is a record marked by the indefinable musical mojo that can only happen when exceptional like minded talents open themselves up to the collaborative spirit.

Hanson took time out to chat with Reveille shortly before the hometown release show for Madam Owl to talk about ill-timed hand injuries, opening up his sound to outside players for the first time, and opting for a “slow climb” career amongst other topics.

Reveille: It’s been three and a half years between your second album and Madam Owl. Was that a result of a particularly painful writing process or were there other factors at play?

Jeff Hanson: I actually cut my hand right when we were going to be starting recording. I had flown [Madam Owl producer/engineer] Rob [Bartelson] out to my house in St. Paul and we were about to start tracking the basics for the record. Right when he arrived I sliced my hand trying to put a hole in a dog collar. [Laughs]. I had to get stitches and have my hand wrapped and wasn’t going to be able to play guitar for awhile so I ended up sending him back home and then he had scheduled work on other projects so that bumped things back further. The actual recording process was quite enjoyable once we got down to it.

Reveille: This is really the first record you’ve done where you weren’t handling all of the instrumental duties yourself and there are a number of guest players on the album. Was it a challenge learning to open up and let other people into the process?

Hanson: Going into it I just flat out knew that I didn’t want to play all the instruments anymore. I sort of realized, ‘Hey, I’m not the best bass player, I’m not the best drummer, I bet we could find people who can do this better.’ All the musicians that ended up on the record were really good. We brought in a whole lot of people, some worked out and some didn’t, the ones that did were so easy to work with. Once things got going with the new players I just wanted more and more people involved, the idea of bringing in horns and the string arrangement all kind of came in later. I was really open to suggestions and didn’t really care whose arrangement idea it was as long as it made the song better, there are some things I don’t know how to do - I can’t play the flugelhorn. [Laughs]

Reveille: It sounds like a pretty conscious departure from the Jeff Hanson record, which was so purposefully spare.

Hanson: I didn’t want to make the same record. To me the third record in anybody’s career is a biggie, it’s kind of the one that sorts who’s going to be sticking around for awhile and who’s on the way out.

Reveille: How much of the difference between this record and its predecessors would you chalk up to experience and just being more comfortable in the studio?

Hanson: Of course I think that has something to do with it, also just the time and money you have to make any particular record. Son was recorded, mixed and ready to go in ten days. You walk in and the clock’s ticking and you have to leave with an album by the end of the week. This record was a very different process than that.

 

Reveille: Your albums all have a timeless quality to them and don’t really fall in line with any particular indie-music trends of the day, which is something I appreciate about them but I would also imagine can work against you depending on the situation. Do you feel like a man apart when it comes to the “industry” side of music?

Hanson: I know what you’re saying and I think that’s why a person in my position doesn’t get that instant buzz. This is my third record and things are going well, but it’s a slow climb. I’m not going to be the guy in the iPod commercial whose career takes off. Every year there’s always that one band that seems to be everywhere and getting all the press and then the very next year nobody’s interested in them. I have no interest in that. I would much rather be around for years and years and have people discover my records in their own time. I love it when I get e-mails now from people that say ‘I bought Son five years ago and I still listen to it and like it.’

Reveille: Throughout your career you’ve periodically spent pretty long periods of time out of the public eye. How important is having that downtime in order to keep the creative batteries charged?

Hanson: When I finished touring behind my second album I totally disappeared for a year. For as much fun as touring is, is it that much fun to be away from home for two months? I came home from Japan on a 13 hour flight and I don’t even want to look at that guitar.  I was so exhausted and tired and if I’m not in a musical place I really have nothing to do with music. I’m not the kind of guy who gets up every day and just plays my guitar. I can literally not pick up a guitar for months and not think about it, just mow my lawn and walk my dogs. Because I went away for so long now it’s kind of a fun time again.