
By: Steffon Olsen
Terence Hansen, also known as the double-neck guitar demon, has seduced and entertained fans around the world with his undeniably original sound, haunting, songs, and brilliant musicality for over two decades. His unwavering dedication to pure, independent artistry and mind-bending musical virtuosity are two of his most beloved signatures among his fans.
Scorpius has been following his career since our inaugural issue ten-years ago and enjoyed an awesome reunion interview for our anniversary issue.
Scorpius: In your early youth, what are your first memories of music? Was there someone close to you who influenced your decision to dive into a career as a singer/songwriter, professional musician?
Hansen: My parents and my grandparents. None of them play musical instruments, but they are all audiophiles. I think my earliest recollection of music was probably my grandpa whistling. He was a great whistler. My grandmother used to play me music she recorded off the radio onto her reel to reel. One song would be jazz, the next one would be Classical, Flamenco, Rock and so on. She has a very wide range of musical taste. She took me to my first classical concert and my first musical when I was about 8. When I was little mom used to have me and my sisters listen to Igor Stravinky’s ‘The Firebird’ and visualize a giant firebird to help us calm down and go to sleep at night. ‘3rd Stone From the Sun‘ by Jimi Hendrix and ‘Breathe‘ by Pink Floyd were also songs she would have us actively listen to and visualize what was happening, using our imagination. But I never pictured the actual musicians. It was more of a movie in my head. My mom also loved Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, Carole King, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Earth Wind and Fire, The Doors, and Billy Joel, to name a few who ended up having a huge influence on me. My dad was the one with the loud stereo in his car blasting classic rock off the radio”
Scorpius: Scorpius had the great privilege of discovering you 10 years ago, upon the debut of our first issue of Scorpius Magazine. You have since gone on to create one of the most unique and eclectic careers of many independent artists in the world. Are there any experiences or moments over the past decade as an independent artist that you recall, which were intrinsically pivotal in your career?
Hansen: Well first, thanks for your support all these years, through thick and thin! Lol! I agree with your description of my career, but I also think this isn’t so rare for artists to have multiple genres and skill sets nowadays, it’s almost required! I’ve always been curious about all kinds of things. It’s interesting to me that some of these things overlap, and some are completely unaware of each other!
As far as experiences or moments over the last decade goes, I can think of a few…
Through my narration and scoring work with Dutch Poet Han De Kluiver, writing, acting, and performance in the Dutch theater production ‘60 Years of Guitar‘, and producing various Dutch musicians, see a pattern here? I eventually (via producer Jos Van Oost) made the move to scoring Dutch Modern Dance productions. I am currently on my third collaboration with choreographer Marjolijn Breuring on ‘Equilibrium’, which will debut in March 2025. I am also the musical director for the Dutch theater production ‘Water’, which will debut in December 2025.
I have also, since our last interview, 10 years already?!!! retired (2022) from education! After 35 years of teaching private lessons, group lessons, clinics, band coaching, music directing, volunteering, and finally culminating in co-founding the successful non-profit, Salt Lake Academy of Music (SLAM), I am now focusing on performing, production, composition, and other multi-media related things.

Scorpius: What could you tell us about the background story behind each of your albums, beginning with your first album, “Some of my Ghosts”?
Hansen: Oye! How much space do I have here? I will try to be brief…
‘Some of My Ghosts‘ 2015 (available on most online platforms)
Most of these songs arose from sad events in my life. A lot of funerals…
But it was also a breakthrough in my singing, production and songwriting skills. It took me years to make. I also had a great band that I had already toured with and performed a lot of the material, so it is very organic, yet tight. We recorded some of it live to analog tape at Mark Fasbender’s old studio, so the tracks have a great band vibe. Eclectic mix of styles…
‘Guru’ 2016 – (available on most online platforms)
I think of this album as much of a continuation of ‘Some of my Ghosts’ because some of it is leftover material from it, as well as what I considered new at the time. Most of the songs on it are very Existential. I had been through a long period of writing music with these kinds of themes, and I would say this was the culmination of that kind of writing for me. VERY ESOTERIC lyrics, yet…POP-ish! Still, some of my favorite stuff to play and sing.
‘Baktune’ 2018 – (available on Bandcamp.com)
This was the first of many live acoustic crossed neck guitar instrumental trio albums to come! Music on the edge, no rehearsal, just…. GO! Upright bass and drums vibing with mostly simple, modal jams. Fun stuff!
‘The Ballad of Ben and Ivy’ 2019 (unreleased)
I’m still excited to put this album online! Originally, I wrote, recorded, and mixed the whole 50-minute album in 3 months, and from there a few of my European fans got a copy and that was it. I began to remix it so I could release it online but then the pandemic happened and shortly after that my father died after being denied health care during a heart attack. I wasn’t able to do much after that. Now I have most of the songs ready. I really want people to hear it. It is only my acoustic crossed neck guitar, my voice, and vocal harmonies. It’s also a concept album. It’s wild, and it still haunts me. The music came through me like a channel, in the fastest amount of time I have ever started and finished any album. Each song was composed with the intention of musically describing each of the 9,10? or 11 human emotions….
‘Asymmetrical’ 2023 (available on most online platforms)
This song as well as ‘Nothing Left to Lose’, ‘Nihilistic Fable’ are the first singles released from a new batch of Metal influence music I started recording back in 2022. I had quite the writer’s block for a while, and I also had a lot of rage and anger. One of the things that got me through that time was Death Metal. Yes, you heard right. I discovered if I turned up super loud and lied in the fetal position on the floor, it soothed me. I had never listened to it before then, but I understand it now. You could say the music for my up-coming album is the polar opposite of my preceding one! No, I don’t do the growling or screaming, and DM folks would probably say it’s about as heavy as Neil Diamond, but for me it’s more of a return to my Metal/Grunge/Prog roots. Also, I have a few new instrumentals for the crossed necks. I’m going to be releasing more singles online soon!
My other albums are scores for the Modern Dance productions ‘Brielle Danst HOOP’ 2022, ‘NEXUS’ 2023, and in March 2025, ‘Equilibrium’.
These are a completely different genre from any of my albums! Classical, Avant Garde, Electronic, Ambient, with some crossed neck guitars sprinkled in. I’m very proud of this music! It excites me to use a wide pallet of instrumentation for color, and the challenge of making it work for the dancers and choreographer, Marjolijn Bruering.
It is a very collaborative process between us, and very rewarding!
Scorpius: You have been dedicated to mentoring the new generation of independent artists through your volunteer work with local non-profit organizations dedicated to helping them find their footing in a tumultuous day and age. Is there a role model from your life who may have inspired your work with the new age of independent musicians?
Hansen: Yes, I consider myself lucky when I was growing up to have had a lot people who gave their time freely to me, sharing their skills, expertise, and passions. My grandfather was always game for a project in his woodshop, my grandma always had the music, art, and travel adventures, my mom was the literary, craft, and constant example of mastering anything she set out to do. When I was in junior high, my ex-girlfriend’s stepdad, Robbie Robinson of the Tempo Timers recorded two 8 min epic Metal tunes from my first band. We had been playing our instruments for 9 months in his studio and he needed test subjects and he was always letting me in there after that, and never charged a dime. I could go on and on about all the folks in my old ‘hood’ that were like that! No one had any extra money! Pay it forward.
Scorpius: How do you feel about the commercial music industry today? Do you have any interest in getting signed to a major or independent label?
Hansen: “I never aspired to be a professional musician to begin with. Art was my first love. I always wanted to be a creative artist. I have always tried to go down my own path and create my own style. Whether it was a drawing or a song. That is my own cross to bear. I have always been very stubborn about trying to create something that I can feel is truly my own. Okay I’m weird. I have never wanted to be a popstar. I have never submitted anything to a record company in my life. That has been my own choice, so I really have no beef with anyone who wants to try to make it in the big time. That is a whole different skill set than I have. I respect anyone who can sing, dance, and take directions from 10 different people at once and be a personality 24/7 steadily until they are consumed and spit back out the other side of the entertainment industry. Either way it’s a lot of work to be a musician and/or a performer. But I did try listening to the radio the other day…”
STILL YUP!
Scorpius: You have been touring Europe for over a decade now, what originally caused you to gravitate towards Amsterdam and the surrounding countries and embark on your decade long love affair with Europe?
Hansen: I was fortunate enough to meet Jos and Anita from the Netherlands, they made it all happen for me. They believed in me and didn’t give up on me!
Scorpius: You’ve had a particular special relationship with Amsterdam, where you enjoy one of your strongest fan bases, what can you tell us about your most memorable performances and experiences in Amsterdam and the custom guitar that you had built by a local artisan there?
Hansen: I have performed all over the Netherlands, as well as Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Romania, Belgium, France, and England. I am lucky to have made some great friends there! The very first crossed neck guitar was conceived by Jos, myself, and guitar luthier Richard Heeres in Den Hauge. It took a year and a half to design and build. It was a dream come true, but with the new learning curve of tapping on an acoustic vs. 2x electrics. It created many new possibilities and hurdles! Alas, after 15 years of service, she (my Heeres acoustic) is in retirement, and I am now sporting a KLOS carbon fiber custom crossed neck acoustic that was reverse engineered from the Heeres. It is also the next level! The sounds I’m getting now are AMAZING. I literally have solved most of the technical desires I’ve had over the last 30 years. Now I am the only obstacle! Lol!
Scorpius: As a true independent artist, untouched by the malady of lust for fame and fortune, what advice would you impart to the new generation of young, up-and-coming, aspiring artists?
Hansen: BE AUTHENTIC. For better or worse, I am happier because even when the business gets difficult, I am still connected to the music and vision that drives me. My extreme individuality has probably worked against me as much as it has for me, because my music wasn’t made for everyone to like, or my guitar, or my face for that matter lol! But in the end, I can’t control what people’s taste preferences are, so I’ll just be myself. Be potent.