Blink-182's Mark Hoppus Talks New Album, Reading and Leeds Festivals

Blink-182 have grabbed the world's attention since their re-formation in 2009 and August 2010 marks the first time the punk-rockers have returned to the UK, with the band headlining the Reading and Leeds festivals as well as playing two Scottish dates. Bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus told Spinner what the fans can expect.

You've got a new album in the pipeline -- is that going to be going back to the roots or keeping to the more mature sound of recent times?

I think it'll probably be the next step beyond the last Blink-182 record. I think we'll always have a strong sense of melody and catchiness to our songs -- but we also want to try new things, but still keep Blink-182 as it's always been.

Do you know when it's going to come out?

Well as soon as we get back from this tour we are continuing recording. Our goal is to turn it into the label by the end of the year, but we'll see how the recording goes. It could be sooner, or it could be a little later -- but the most important thing to us is to write a record that we absolutely believe in.

I presume there will be a full UK tour after it's released?

When the album comes out we'll definitely do a tour there. Travis is actually on a boat on his way over right now [for the August UK shows]. He doesn't fly anymore obviously, so to show our level of dedication Travis is taking a 12-day journey just to get out to the UK to play the shows. He has to start from L.A., then take a bus across the US and then get a boat.

Were there any odd vibes going back into the studio?

There weren't weird vibes. The reason why after Blink re-formed we have been touring is that we wanted to get back to the point where we are a proper band, and not just three guys in the studio. When we first re-formed everybody was really respectful and kind towards each other and that's not necessarily the best way to create music. People need to have the ability to be completely honest with one another and speak plainly and truthfully without fear of somebody catching a strange vibe, y'know? So we wanna get back on the road and become not only friends again but an actual band. Not just three guys in the studio together -- we want to be Blink-182 again, where it's okay to make fun of one another in a good way or say, 'You know what, I think that's a cool idea but what if we tried it this way.'

The reformation seemed to stem from Travis' plane crash in 2008. How pivotal was that?

It was definitely pivotal. Even before Travis' plane crash we were all in our own minds ready for at least our friendship to come back -- we didn't obviously talk about the band at all. I think that everybody in their minds was ready to let the past be the past and at least re-form our friendships because we'd been together for far too long to just let all that go to waste.

Do you think Blink-182 are still relevant in the music scene in 2010?

Yeah I absolutely do -- just by the attendance and interest on the tour last summer and the expectation that we have coming over to the UK as well. I was actually really humbled and surprised and floored at how great the reaction was when Blink-182 re-formed. We didn't know if people would still care. We've been broken up for five years and not many bands get a chance to come back and have the reaction we've had, so it's to us to come up with a great record to pay that back.

Have you visibly seen the music scene change since you've been away?

Everything's cyclical, y'know? Pop music comes and goes in cycles, rock music comes and goes in cycles, things like hip-hop comes and goes in cycles so everything is always changing and evolving and doing different things. We're Blink-182 and we've just gotta keep our heads down and do our own thing and don't worry about what's happening in the outside world.

Speaking of pop music, have you heard Jedward's cover of 'All The Small Things?'

I have heard the cover. It's funny 'cause all of a sudden on the online forums and my Twitter people started talking about this band covering 'All the Small Things' -- it was everything from "Finally a good band plays this song" to "How did you guys ever let a band cover your song?" I think that bands can cover whatever songs -- we never gave permission for them but I don't think we needed to, I think any band can cover anyone else's song. (If you're unfamiliar with Jedward's version, you can see the full horror here.)

Do you think they've absolutely killed the song?

I don't think so -- it's a catchy, hooky song and they can do whatever they want to it, that's their band. Do they write their own songs? I don't know very much about the band, it seems like the stuff that I've seen of them is that they mostly do covers. I heard the song and really don't have anything bad to say – they're doing their thing, it's all good.

You're playing at the Reading and Leeds festivals at the end of August. Do you think Blink-182 are a good festival band?

Yeah, it's always interesting because when you play your own shows you're kind preaching to the converted, but when you play a festival you have to win over people so you have to work a little harder. I'm excited for the festivals. Growing up, being a kid playing bass in my dad's garage and watching television and seeing bands like Green Day, Nirvana, Sonic Youth and all these bands at Reading -- it's kinda like an iconic festival to play and to get to come back and play it again is really cool.