I'm sorry! :(
I kinda understand you, the bass player of my favourite argentinean band had a car accident in 2006, he didn't die, but he almost did, and he won't be back in the band because he can barely speak and move his body. It's really sad, he's the greatest bass player ever! He could make the bass sound so powerful like anyone ever could! And he was also the producer of the band, so in their latest albums, even they are still really good, you can't help but missing him and his sound.

Big hug!

Taty

Actually, it was never a hanson decision to be indie or not. It was the only option left for them. It took 3 years to hanson to realize the label didn't want them anymore.

When major labels find you worthy, they sign you, and i don't see hanson as Hippie musicians.

"It seems reasonable to conclude that Hanson know the music industry better than anyone here"

If they knew something about music industry, believe me:

* They wouldn't have released underneath, internationally, A YEAR LATER from its release in the US.

* They wouldn't have announced SIO as the next worldwide album and tour, in 2009, and then in 2010 kept telling trough the official site that intl dates were TBA

* The ST would be actually an ST (although talking about the failures of this ST should be a whole new thread)

If they were super genious in the industry, they would be more like Depeche Mode, indie huge worldwide band. Instead, they have been forgotten since 2001.

Hanson, as the worldwide band they claim to be, they are far away from being successful. Hanson, as a local band they are, they're doing ok. They can't take their music to the mainstream, but they survive with their merch sales. Although, if i was a musician, i'd rather sell albums. But if my talent is selling clothes, chocolate and coffee, i should own walmart to call myself a successful person in that industry.

Shows doesn't count as a plus, since they're a band, if they couldn't book a show, then it's time to find a new job.

Bren

"2) she is ABSOLUTELY right about the major labels not allowing live streams. i interned at epic records a while back and would tell people about how hanson streams live concerts and exclusive interviews and such, and most of them were astounded."

That's not true, Calle 13, from Puerto Rico, and DANTE from Argentina, both signed to SONY MUSIC and HUGE in latinamerica and some europe, are starting to livestream. Just be patient, and you'll see artist in major record labels will start livestreaming too. Probably not that often as hanson, of course.

"3) a band or any artist has very little control over "anything they want"

I think she never used the word "control", that changes the whole subject.

"especially on major labels. they dont choose where they perform,"

Just like most of indie bands that hires a booking agent and trusts in thas person.

"some of them dont even get to choose their merchandise they sell."

Not a big deal, really. As long as fans like it and buy it.

"the bigger the artist, the less control they have because there are so many more people involved with them."

The bigger the artist, the more money the label earns, the more money the label earns, the artist gets easily what they want (in the musical matter). And that was the point, I think.

Taty

Oh I see! And I agree, you don't need to be signed to a major label to have a hit, Evanscence is a good example of that, they were signed to Wind Up when they became famous.

I know which ones the major labels are, I've worked -for free, to earn experience- with 3 of them, for several years, and have 1 or 2 friends in each one of those labels, hehe.

About the pop chart, I identify 5 in major record labels:

Universal: Nelly & Rhianna
EMI: Katy Perry
SONY: Pink & Usher

Maybe some of them are released internationally under exclusive license of those labels.
But still, your example of moving in the mainstream while being independent, it still doesn't seem to apply to hanson.

Taty