Fort Lauderdale Magazine: It’s been almost two decades now that you have been the frontman for the band Foreigner. Did you ever think about or want to replace a lead singer in such an incredible group?
Kelly Hansen: Well, I had to have a discussion with myself, knowing it’s a wonderful and challenging set of songs for a tenor vocalist. It’s definitely not an easy set of songs to sing. I had to ask myself, “Do you really think you can pull this off?” You think about being on the road night after night and you really have to weigh it out. You just have to have a little faith in yourself and take the leap off the cliff. I feel like that attitude in my career has really benefited me.
FLMag: You have such an amazing range. Along with your high energy, it keeps the band sounding invigorating and fresh.
KH: That’s what I hope to do. Now it’s my job to be the emcee of the show and make sure that people have a good time. That’s what differentiates us from a band that just stands there and plays the music. I like to say we play with the audience, not to the audience. I think that’s an important element of showing people a good time and giving them something they will feel good about when they leave.
FLMag: Did you always sing rock? I know you have been singing for the last five decades.
KH: I was doing pop and regular rock. When I got my first international success with a band called Hurricane, which was really heavy rock, people only saw me as a heavy rock band singer. So it took awhile to be allowed in to do sessions and things with people who weren’t in hard rock. But I’ve done all kinds of stuff.
FLMag: How do you recover your vocal cords after a night of performing?
KH: The only things that help a voice recover are time and cold ultrasonic steam. There [are] different kinds of humidifiers; the ultrasonic one pulverizes high-frequency sound waves and turns into a cold mist. You can breathe that in to rest your vocal cords and soothe [them]. It’s really just not talking, not shouting, not laughing too loud.
FLMag: How do you prepare for these shows mentally and physically?
KH: Right before the shows I [do] a warmup routine. I do a bunch of stretching, a very gentle vocal warmup and stretch my voice. The goal is to get a good blood flow in your vocal cords because you want them to be well-lubricated with blood — that keeps them fresh and healthy.
FLMag: Foreigner has earned a lot of accolades: 80 million albums sold, 10 multi-platinum albums, 16 “Top 30 Hits,” one of the most popular rock bands ever in Billboard magazine. That’s an incredible band to be with, and I know you must be very proud. You’re an asset to the band. I know you played with the 21st Century Symphony Orchestra — that must have been amazing.
KH: Thank you. To play with an orchestra takes months of planning. First you have to create arrangements for all the orchestral instruments that weren’t originally in the song. You’re adding an orchestra to an already existing arrangement, which takes the same kind of creativity [as] it takes to write a song. We then work with a great conductor who has worked with a lot of rock band/orchestra collaborations, then rehearsals. Finally, working together to map it all out. A symphony works on a print version, not like a rock band that’s hopping around and signaling to each other with their eyes. [The orchestra is] all about having everything written down specifically and still making it feel like a lively show. I was happy with how it came out.
FLMag: Both you and the band’s founder, Mick Jones, have given Shriner’s Hospital the gift of music and donated $300,000. Tell me more about that. I saw the little blond girl singing “I Want to Know What Love Is,” and I just teared up.
KH: I met her a long time ago when we first started working with Shriner’s. She was a tiny little girl. I went to the hospital to present them with a check about 15 years ago. She had a little blow-up inflatable guitar and she was so cute. She came in and grabbed my leg, and then years later she ends up being a singer and doing her own thing. She’s become wonderful. We’ve been doing this for a long time, and [Shriner’s does] such great work to make it so families don’t have to pay for medical coverage or living and eating while they are getting these very needed treatments for kids who are really, really sick.
FLMag: Do you like the new direction of music in this day and age?
KH: I think it’s harder for an artist to be starting out now. They have to be more of a social media manager and a marketing machine than an artist. Plus, the compensation now that artists get from streaming is just a fraction of what it used to be. You can’t expect an artist to make a living doing it unless they are out there doing shows for most of the year. It’s so much harder for an artist to be an artist.
FLMag: Is Mick still involved with the band? Would love to see him make an appearance!
KH: He is with us whenever he can be, and we are always orchestrating everything together because he is the visionary of this band. He and I have worked closely over the years to make sure we understand each other and give the band the direction it should have.
FLMag: Thank you for your time and for including Florida in this last tour!
WHAT: Foreigner
WHEN: July 19
WHERE: iTHINK Financial Amphitheater
TICKETS: foreigneronline.com