Blink-182 Say the Tension Between Members Makes the Band Work

In a lengthy chat with KROQ, Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge spoke about the rekindling of the Blink-182 fires. The band members said that they don't over think things and that is what's magical about the band, which has sold 27 million albums since its inception.

The band said going in to write what would become 'Neighborhoods,' their first album in eight years, was predicated from not second-guessing anything. The boys who sang 'What's My Age Again' have really grown up, lyrically. But the music still retains Blink's youthful flair.

Hoppus revealed, "When we first reformed Blink, we went straight into the studio to start recording and we were very precious about this little spark. We wanted to protect this little spark that was Blink-182 and we were very polite with each other. We were a little too respectful of one another and a little too afraid to say like 'What if we did this instead?' And, you need to have that as a band. There’s a tension in Blink-182 between Travis, Tom and myself that somehow works. There’s a dynamic, a push and a pull between the three of us trying to take songs in different directions and that’s what makes a Blink-182 song.”

DeLonge didn't mince words about the split, admitting that the trio essentially were at each others throats when they went their separate ways. "We all hated each other's guts for no reason. We don't even know what we were fighting about. I was very open about it. I was like, I was never going to do this again. I really thought, never … I was totally fine and happy where I was. But then that plane crash happened, then you realize how stupid you’re acting and how petty things are and then I started thinking ‘Oh my God.’ I like the idea of choosing not to do it but I didn’t like the idea of God and nature choosing for me. [...] After that I was kinda open to whatever. And no one wants a heavy heart with old friends. We all hated each other’s guts for no reason. We don’t even know what we were fighting about. That’s how stupid it was."

Now, they don't do anything without the three of them commiserating, consulting each other and being on the same page. That's why the record was so late, in terms of being released. The band blew deadlines simply because they could.

During the chat, they also speak about the death of producer Jerry Finn, who had quite a guiding influence on the band.

Hoppus said the geographical distance made it difficult to record, since the process was so different. They own their own studios, so they had their own timeline and did it their way.

Listen to Blink-182 Clips 1-4