How Travis Barker Became Gen-Z’s Pop-Punk Whisperer

Travis Barker

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 — GrimesLil 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…”

Travis Barker Coming to Reverb

Travis Barker

Travis Barker will be having a Reverb shop.

One specific set of drums is an Orange County Drums & Percussion set Barker called the “Evel Knievel Kit,” which he played in the music video for blink-182’s “Adam’s Song.” “It’s almost too special to me and it feels weird to drag it back out on tour or to even play it in the studio. It’s really a timepiece and I can’t wait to see who ends up with it,” Barker says.

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Travis Barker Tore Tendon in His Hand

Travis Barker

GQ:

I absolutely work out every day, with the exception of one day a week. My workouts can fluctuate from boxing and high intensity interval training to Muay Thai—which I can’t do right now because I recently tore a tendon in my hand. (I have to have surgery in a few weeks.) Some days could just be a run, 6 or 7 within an hour. Recently I’ve been working out with Don-A-Matrix, and that has been intense.