Rolling Stone sat down with Travis Barker of Blink-182 to talk about, well, everything:
He’s hopeful — not for the first time in his career — that he can help serve as a bridge to a wider world of rock. “Some of Jaden’s fans are like, ‘Whoa, Jaden invented a genre of music!’ So funny, but however they’re introduced to it, I’m fine with it,” Barker says. “Because I think even Blink was that. You know, a lot of kids discover Blink and then go back and discover the Descendents and Bad Religion and the Buzzcocks. So if kids listen to MGK and Jxdn and then discover these other bands, I mess with that. That’s cool.”
And, Blink updates:
While Barker’s other work continues to pick up speed, he’s eager to carry on with Blink-182. The band, which last released an album in 2019, recorded several songs with outside musicians — Grimes, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Tracy — but he’s not sure just yet how they’ll come out. He’s in regular touch with Blink singer Mark Hoppus. (Hoppus revealed that he’s undergoing chemotherapy for cancer several weeks after Barker spoke with Rolling Stone.) “I just spent the day with Mark a week ago,” says Barker. “Yesterday he was like, ‘Dude, congratulations. I’m so happy for you.’”
As of late May, Barker’s plan was to spend time next year recording a full new Blink album sans collaborators, and then head out a world tour. “I think that’s going to happen more in 2022,” Barker says.”I have so many [other] things I’m obligated to do this year. I want to spend the right amount of time on the Blink album and make sure it’s one of the best pieces of work we’ve ever done…. It will be my priority. It will be the only thing I’m working o
What about a Tom DeLonge reunion?
Could a reunion happen? “Never say never,” Barker says. “I talk to Tom all the time. We send funny texts and stuff. The times of bad blood and the misunderstandings between us are so over with. It’s all love. We all three talk, and we’re all friends. So, yeah, I will never say never. I think if the time was right and it just made sense…”