Blink-182 reveal story behind last year’s split and their ‘rebirth’
Following their first UK number one album last year, the band open up about their split, new guitarist and UK tour
IT feels like a new chapter rather than a comeback for Blink-182 after California became their first UK No1 album last month.
Despite five years having passed since their last record, the reinvigorated band are looking forward, not playing on the success of the past.
“It feels like a rebirth,” bassist and singer Mark Hoppus tells me. “We have a new band member (guitarist/singer Matt Skiba) and a completely different approach to recording.
“It feels like Blink-182 are coming home, as there’s an excitement in our band. There’s also a unity of purpose and a joy of playing music together again.”
I’m sat in Hoppus’ dressing room at the Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas, Texas, a few hours before showtime in the middle of their sold-out tour.
“I feel like we’ve been growing and growing in the UK since we first started going over there 20 years ago,” says Hoppus, who lived in London for three years.
“This new record is one that we love and fans do as well, so people are rediscovering Blink.
“But that doesn’t mean we’re a nostalgia band — there are people who have been coming to our shows for years and people who are attending their first.”
Skiba, who is also in Alkaline Trio, replaced original guitarist Tom DeLonge for good last year after initially filling in for him to play shows and a festival in March 2015.
“It was a relief when Tom (who also fronts Angels & Airwaves and gathers UFO evidence) decided he didn’t want to be in the band,” says Hoppus.
“It had been obvious for years he wasn’t happy in Blink.
“For years we’d always said — well, at least Travis (Barker, the band’s drummer) and I had — Blink is our main priority. We all do other things but Blink comes first.
“We had planned to do new recordings for months but days before we were to start, Tom’s manager emailed us and said he wasn’t interested. He was out.
We were disappointed, angry with Tom at first
“For years we’d always said — well, at least Travis (Barker, the band’s drummer) and I had — Blink is our main priority. We all do other things but Blink comes first.
“We had planned to do new recordings for months but days before we were to start, Tom’s manager emailed us and said he wasn’t interested. He was out.
“Of course we were disappointed and angry but then, after a while, it made sense because he just wasn’t happy doing it.”
Both Hoppus, 44, and Barker, 40, agree that Skiba, 40, has added a new dimension to the band.
“I feel like I have to really be on point to compete with him as Matt has a great voice,” admits Hoppus. “And he is awesome. He is a good friend and cool to hang out with.”
“There’s a new energy in the band,” says the tattooed Barker, as he downs a healthy green juice concoction.
“Matt and I have a lot in common. When all this happened with Tom, I told Mark that Matt was the guy. He sings and plays the guitar well and really was the only person I could see filling Tom’s place.”
Skiba isn’t the only new blood in the Blink family, after Goldfinger singer and guitarist John Feldmann came on board as California’s producer.
Barker says: “He is such a great producer. When we started working on new songs, I noticed Mark’s stuff was very Blink-sounding and Matt’s stuff was very much Alkaline Trio-sounding and we were doing the best to make a hybrid and put them together.
“But, I have to give credit to John for fusing it all together.”
Hoppus adds: “We had different songs that we thought were ready but then John said, ‘Why don’t you guys come to my studio tomorrow and write a song?’
So we went there and started working and wrote three songs in the first day and kept writing more songs.
“We never went back to the first songs because these new ones were just way better. He pushed us and it was lots of fun.
“The most valuable lesson I took away from recording this album was to just get out of my own way and not to overthink things.
“If I am left to my own devices I will pick at it, mess with the lyrics and beat the song to death.”
However, for Barker it was more in line with his way of working. He says: “I work at the same frantic pace as John and I don’t really like to waste days of getting sounds.
“I love working like that. But it was very different for Mark.”
Making California was not only a fresh start and a new way of working for the band but also a creative time for them.
The album has 16 tracks though there are another batch of new songs that the band are currently in discussions with about releasing.
“We’d like to get an EP out around Christmas — hopefully this album will still be doing well at that point. But we will see.” says Barker.
Hoppus adds: “John had insisted we have no more than ten, possibly 12 songs on the album and the hardest part was deciding which to leave off.
“We kept 16 because it was silly not to put them on because of some artificial rule of what an album should be nowadays.
“People’s attention spans are short and it’s been five years since Blink has put an album out.”
Songs such as Bored To Death and No Future are the sound of a re-energised band. New single She’s Out Of Her Mind is one of the catchiest on the album.
Hoppus explains: “That song is deceptively simple but probably took the most work of any song on the album. The chorus is a combination of five different chorus ideas.”
Both Hoppus and Barker say they didn’t realise the album’s theme of their home state of California until they were halfway through.
“We had songs like Los Angeles, San Diego and California and realised we were being inspired by home,” says Hoppus.
“Most people think of the sunshine, beaches and palm trees when they think of California.
“It’s the place where dreams are fulfilled. But there is also a dark side to California, especially LA and that’s what the record is. That’s what Blink is.
“We are a fun, summertime, ‘kick the world’s ass’ band but we also have a darkness and angst.”
Blink-182 sing about rebellion and teenage angst. How do Hoppus and Barker relate to that image now they are both in their forties and fathers - Hoppus to Jack, who turns 14 today, and Barker to son Landon, 13 and daughter Alabama, ten?
Hoppus says: “Being in a band forges the opportunity to live like you want to.
“We get to travel the world playing music, hang out with our friends, skateboard and watch movies.”
Barker says proudly: “My kids are my favourite people. We all love music. They both listen to the same music like US band A Day To Remember. We share musical tastes.
“They grew up on a tour bus. They’ve been touring with me since the age of two.
“They are both musicians — my daughter plays piano and sings and my son plays drums, raps and sings. They love music.”
Barker also credits his children for helping him kick drugs and drink.
“Without them, I wouldn’t be here. Before I had kids I just didn’t care and I was living for the day.
“Once I had my kids, I wanted to be healthy and be around for them.
“And that’s why today we are a better band than ever before. I was on so many drugs ten to 15 years ago and I hadn’t been sober since I was 19 until a couple of years ago.
"But I just fell out of love with my addiction.
“Now I work out all the time and I’m in way better shape, mentally and physically.”
Barker, who survived a plane crash in 2008 that claimed the lives of four passengers and left him critically injured, still has a fear of flying and hasn’t flown since the crash.
I ask if the rumours are true that he’s bought a boat to travel.
“No, I wish I could afford to but I’d need a big boat to go overseas. I took a boat one time and we hit 35ft waves and 170mph winds.
“Turbulence on a plane lasts five minutes but this was four days of crazy weather. It was insane; the worst experience ever so I said, ‘Never again’.”
But even with his fear of travel, Barker says he is looking forward to more dates in the UK.
“The shows we did this year were cool and I had a phone call to talk about Europe this morning.
"We change our set list every night so it keeps it interesting. It’s good to be in Blink right now.”
And has what they went through with DeLonge dampened any of it?
“No, as it’s being dealt with by lawyers and managers as we speak,” says Hoppus.
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“Ultimately, it comes down to the three of us and we are all reasonable people. There is no animosity.
“Tom will get paid for his time in Blink and for his creativity. With the new album it has all been put to rest. We are looking forward.
“Now it all makes perfect sense. Matt loves playing in Blink, we all love playing in Blink.
"It is a labour of love.
“We just write what is in our hearts and it connects with people.”
Blink-182’s new single She’s Out Of Her Mind is out now.