Exclusive video premiere of ‘Little Disaster’ by Gymnasium, taken from the upcoming album, ‘Hansen’s Pop ‘n’ Rock ’22’, out June 28, 2022 via Red on Red Records.

Local legends are the backbone of American independent music scenes. There’s nothing like knowing you may stumble into the best guitarist in town at the grocery store. There’s a sense of pride in knowing that a great band lives in your city. And Boston’s very own Charles Hansen, together with his band Gymnasium, has created a colossal concept record ‘Hansen’s Pop ‘n’ Rock Music ’22’.

A long sought after session guitarist in Boston, Hansen is unleashing his own brand of classic rock-tinged power pop. As the leader of cover band The Handymen and a slew of other projects, Hansen has been steeped in rock and roll’s legacy for his entire career. And now, he’s taking everything he’s learned and painting his masterpiece.

Hansen has created his very own Quadrophenia on ‘Pop ‘n Rock Music ’22’. It’s an album that deploys a staggering twenty-two song collection of endlessly catchy melodies and big guitar hooks. Opener ‘It’s Just Beginning’ leans on 60s psychedelia before launching into a full on rocker. Hansen & Co show off the diverse genre shifts they’re able to perfectly execute. Just a couple songs later, ‘Another Time’ shows the band leaning into influences from 70s bands like Big Star or Cheap Trick. The album also has its fair share of quirky bits as well. From the almost elevator music at the beginning of ‘Tavern at the End of the World’ to the weird organ on ‘Bad Advice’, this band is not afraid to inject some strangeness into these tunes. You won’t find one type of rock and roll on this record; Hansen’s writing is all over the place, but still cohesive.

This article could be so much longer – there’s just a cascade of engaging musical moments on this giant record. But, I’ll let you listen for yourself. Check out the record below, and stick around for an exclusive interview with the band below!

Could you talk about the single, ‘Little Disaster’? What prompted you to write it and then choose it as a single?

Charles Hansen: ‘Little Disaster’ is really just the story of having to fight my way through the 8th grade. It was chosen as a single mainly because it has a driving beat, an interesting melody sung by the great John Powhida, and fulfills my quota of two guitar solos per song.

This is a huge record. What was it like sequencing and trying to ensure everything flowed well?

I handed off the task of sequencing the record to my friend and bandmate, Jim Janota. He’s always been very good at putting together setlists for gigs that we’ve played, so I figured why not let him take care of it? In short, I didn’t want the responsibility.

Did the songs change a lot from original conception to finished product?

Musically, The structure of the tunes retained 95% of their structural integrity throughout the process. The lyrics were a totally different matter. They were all done in a matter of six weeks. I just sat on my back porch for hours a day hoping to come up with decent words to match the melodies. That was, by far, the hardest part.

What do you hope listeners take away from these songs?

To tell you the truth, I think the best I can hope for is that people like some of the tunes enough to put them in their playlists, whether they’re going to the beach, having a Tupperware party, or whatever other activity. Also, it would be nice if some people other than musicians would listen to it. Nothing against musicians, of course.

Headline photo by: Ilya Mirman

Gymnasium Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp
Red on Red Records Facebook / Instagram / Bandcamp / YouTube