Blink-182 is preparing for their next album with a “kick-ass, thrashy” punk direction, as bassist and co-vocalist Mark Hoppus recently revealed in an interview with Guitar World.
When asked how the next Blink-182 album is shaping up, Hoppus explained that the band has a new record deal and is eager to return to the studio.
“We have a new record deal, and we are starting to talk about dates for future tours and things like that,” Hoppus said. “And we’re all starting to itch to get back into the studio. I have stuff that I want to show Tom and Travis. I know Travis has ideas. I know Tom’s getting his studio back up and running again, and starting to dive in. So we can’t wait to get in and see where it takes us.”
He further explained his desire to continuously create new music rather than relying on the band’s past success.
“Because I always want to keep writing new music and touring, and introducing new songs into the set,” Hoppus continued. “I don’t ever want to rest on our laurels and be like, ‘Yeah, you know, we wrote Enema of the State back in ’99, so I think we’re cool.’ If we’re touring, I want to be touring new music and be excited about new projects.”
When asked if there is any specific direction the material he is writing is taking at the moment, Hoppus noted that he has been listening to bands like Sonic Youth, Devo, and Bad Religion.
“This past couple years, I’ve listened to a lot of Sonic Youth and Devo and Bad Religion, and really going back to music that excited me back in the day,” Hoppus said. “So my stuff is a lot more stripped down, punk rock-sounding.”mark
He added that his current focus is on returning to basics and writing energetic tracks.
“I don’t know what happens when Tom and Travis get their hands on that, but for me, it’s really back to basics: ‘What do I love about music? What do I want to say?'” Hoppus continued. “I feel really inspired. There’s been times where I’m like, ‘I don’t even know what I want to write about,’ or I’m searching for what I’m trying to say. But this year, I feel a lot more focused and a lot more excited to just cut to the chase and write some kick-ass, thrashy songs.”
Hoppus’s comments arrive as the band looks to build on the momentum of its most recent release. Blink-182 has been operating with renewed energy since the classic lineup of Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker reunited, and the trio’s latest work suggests there is still plenty of creative ground to cover.
That momentum was measurable on the charts. Blink-182’s reunion album One More Time… debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 125,000 equivalent album units, becoming the band’s third chart-topping album in the United States.
