Jeff Hanson

Jeff Hanson’s high falsetto frequently prompted critics to assume the voice belonged to a female singer. Before embarking on a solo path, he served as frontman for the indie-rock outfit M.I.J. Born in Milwaukee, WI, he began studying guitar at the age of four. At thirteen he assembled M.I.J., and seven years later the group issued a 7", an EP, and a full-length album on Caulfield Records. Once on his own, Hanson mailed an unsolicited demo to Kill Rock Stars; the label extended a contract on the strength of that recording alone, an uncommon move on their part. He tracked the album Son in Lincoln, NE, alongside AJ Mogis and Mike Mogis of the Faint and Bright Eyes, and the record appeared in February 2003. Two years later he delivered the self-titled Jeff Hanson, then resurfaced in August 2008 with Madam Owl, his third chamber-pop release for Kill Rock Stars.