Mark Hoppus UG Interview 2006-11-11 by Jom | 21 Comments | Recently, Mark Hoppus sat down with ultimate-guitar.com and conducted an interview where he discussed manifold topics, ranging from former blink-182 guitarist/nasal vocalist Tom DeLonge to his new band, Plus-44, and what he expects for the future.
Portions of the interview follow:
When asked about why blink-182 disbanded:
Tom [DeLonge] wanted to have control over everything and he should be in a band where he can call all the shots. That wasn’t the way that blink worked. We definitely would always look out for one another and give each other the space that we needed and the things that we needed, but toward the end of blink it became really one-sided. So I think Tom needed to do something where he was in complete control.
About Plus-44's new sound in comparison to blink:
We never really even talked about where we thought it was going to go. We just got in the studio and started demoing ideas for songs. We didn't even really think twice about what it was going to sound like or how we were going to approach it. We just went in and started putting ideas down and kind of said, "Let's see where this takes us." It went that way and then grew organically. Some songs started off electronic and ended up being very rock-driven, and some songs started off where we thought it was going to be a rock song and it ended up kind of quiet and minimal-sounding. I don't really know what we're trying to achieve with each song that we start writing. We kind of just keep writing and recording...
... I like electronic stuff. There's so much stuff you can do now with technology that's available to musicians that it seems a shame to just do everything on electric guitar... there's so much else out there that you can use. We want to get inspired by all different kinds of instruments. At the beginning everything was electronic, just by necessity. We were recording in Travis' basement and in my dining room. So it was either Travis' programming drums on his keyboards or on an MPC or playing his electronic drums. When we recorded the melodies, we were using a guitar plugged into a computer or a keyboard or something like that. So everything at the beginning was completely electronic because we were just demoing.
About the song "No It Isn't," which supposedly chronicles blink-182's last days:
It was the first song that we actually finished when we bought our studio. We had recorded the music and I kind of had a rough idea for some of the vocal melodies and things. One day I went to the studio, and it was just me and the engineer there that day. I went out into the courtyard of the studio and started writing the lyrics to the song. It was kind of about the end of blink-182 and the ugly matter that went down. I never really spoke about anything in the press or even to a lot of people that I knew about the end of blink, and it all came out in that one song...
... It was definitely very cathartic to finally like say my peace and to let it out. I couldn’t hold it inside forever. So when I sat down to write that song, the lyrics I think were written probably 15 or 20 minutes, which is very fast for me writing-wise. I really agonize over lyrics a lot of the time and go back and change things and readdress stuff. In that song, the lyrics just came out in a big hurry. I felt great to just finally speak my mind on it and have it come out in the song.
When asked about his relationship with Tom DeLonge:
I haven't spoken with Tom in the past 2 years and that’s pretty much where it's at right now.
As for drummer Travis Barker and his dedication to music:
Yeah, [he is] definitely [dedicated]. Travis has always been the foundation for everything musically that we've done. The drums that he plays lay the foundation for everything, and he's always really solid in the studio and especially live. You couldn't ask for a better drummer.
When asked about his influences in music and songwriting:
I'm into all kinds of stuff. I love listening to old classic rock and like old goth, things like The Cure and things that I'd listen to when I was growing up. I also draw inspiration from up-and-coming bands, bands I've worked with The Matches or Idiot Pilot. I listen to Frank Sinatra or The Beach Boys. There's so much inspiration in the world. Or I can be reading a book and find something in a book that I think sounds cool and it will inspire me in some way. I think that as a creator of music, you kind of have to keep your eyes open and use everything you can for inspiration.
When I was growing up in high school, I think I was a lot more close-minded to music than I am now. When I was in high school, I used to listen to just punk rock and goth or whatever. I would not listen to anything else. There would be like a heavy metal song playing at one of my friend's houses and I'd be like, "Why the hell are you listening to a heavy metal song? I can't believe that!" Then I grew up and actually started opening my mind to other music. I've always liked rock music and I've always like Pink Floyd and things like that, but for me to cross over and listen to a pop song on the radio and think,
"Wow, there are some really good elements in that pop song" or listen to anything I was uncomfortable with before, it took me a minute. Now I'm like, "I can't believe that I didn't listen to every single style on the face of the planet." There is so much great music out there and so many good ideas out there.
---
To read the entire interview where Hoppus discusses even more material about Plus-44, his other aspirations, file-sharing, and more, head on over to UG, or follow this link:
http://ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/interviews/mark_hoppus_keep_your_mind_open.html
All credit goes to Amy Kelly, staff writer at ultimate-guitar.com.
|
|
Tagged: +44
|
|
sweet
| | |
Mark>>>>>>>>>>Tom
| | |
Mark is such a cool guy...
| | |
I like Mark.
| | |
Good sh*t. I've heard a few of the +44 songs and they most definitely shat all over the horrible AVA record, and even blow away quite a bit of blink's catalogue as well. It's poppy but far deeper and more nuanced than anything he's done before, and I'll be definitely interested in their future.
| | |
Where can I hear some of +44's material?
| | |
tom=axl
| | |
Though I was never a Blink fan, I do have to give Mark credit. He's being very mature about this whole thing. And this...
Now I'm like, "I can't believe that I didn't listen to every single style on the face of the planet." There is so much great music out there and so many good ideas out there.
That really proved to me that he's a true musician at heart.
| | |
Mark is a cool guy. Unlike Tom/Bono
| | |
Pretty cool that they Plus44 put the entire album on myspace. Im gonna go listen now
| | |
when a conversation gets to tom, i immediantly begin reffering to him as "Tom Delo-douchebag"
because that is what he is
see what i did there?
| | |
I've always liked Mark, it's good to hear his perspective on some of these things.
| | |
Im listening to the album right now, pretty good stuff
| | |
Mark rocks
| | |
+44 > A&A
by a MILE.
I still can't believe how bad the airwaves album was in the end.
| | |
Mark finally owns Tom in the face, just as everyone wanted. Plus, +44 has a drummer.
| | |
I like +44 a lot more than AVA, but this interview, as well as many other mark interviews post blink, is biased(even though every piece of media is).
| | |
mark was a shizload better singer than tom. Tom ruined what good songs they had with his nasally ass voice
| | |
Well, he sucks arse as a bassist, but he seems to be a good guy
| | |
+44 = AvA
they are 2 completely different sounds. you cant say one band is better than another unless your saying that a certain bands success is better than anothers.
+44 is a continuation of Blink182 and sounds very similar.
AvA is a huge branch from blink and is good in its own rights as long as people stop bringing up Tom's comments on the album as silly as they were/are
Tom has scarred his name, but he will eventually wise up. Mark is a great guy from what i've read about out of interviews/articles.
| | |
tom cant sing live for sh*t. it always sounds like hes gonna cry and die
Mark's voice is way better.
| | |
| |
• Jesse Lacey Allegations
• Jayyvon Opens Up About Abuse
• The Fall of Troy bassist melts do..
• The Story So Far's vocalist dropk..
• Deftones stream new single
• R.I.P. Lemmy
• Killswitch Engage debut new single
• Scott Weiland dead at 48
• Nothing But Thieves accusations
• Lil Peep Dead At 21
• Babymetal celebrate 15th year
• RIP ThyCrossAwaits
• Kannatama releases demo track
• Chrocktikal announces debut
• Ichika Nito’s Grand Reveal LP
• Silje Wergeland leaves The Gather..
• Silver Dolls stream namesake EP
• R.I.P. Perry Bamonte
• VOLA gear destroyed in fire
• R.I.P. Chris Rea
• Car Underwater drop a single
• Fanatisme stream first long player
• Miserere Luminis New Album
• Beschwoerung let out debut LP
• No/Mas tease new album
» see all news
|
