Travis Barker Drops Bombshells on Tumultuous Friendship with Blink-182 Bandmates
Travis Barker acknowledges the challenges faced in his friendship with Blink-182 bandmates, but emphasizes the power of their reconciliation and renewed collaboration, resulting in an inspiring musical journey
Blink-182 Zane Lowe on Apple Music
Travis Barker found the release of new Blink-182 music to be particularly exciting as it allowed him to reconnect with his bandmates, Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus. During an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1, Barker, 47, expressed that he had always felt a heaviness in his heart due to their strained friendship. This weight on his conscience stemmed from the importance of his relationship with these individuals, and the fact that it had not been properly repaired, leaving unresolved emotions lingering.
The drummer expressed the importance of reconciling and reuniting as brothers, as it allows him to deeply appreciate the impact their friendship has on others. He acknowledged that any previous negativity he held in his heart was not valid and no longer matters. Barker affirmed his readiness to leave the past behind and focus on the present, emphasizing his desire to truly understand the significance of their work and its impact on people.
Blink-182's original lineup comprising of Barker, DeLonge, aged 47 and 51 respectively, have reunited for their upcoming album, One More Time, slated to be released on Friday, October 20. This album marks the trio's first new music since 2011. It is worth mentioning that previous members of Blink-182 include Scott Raynor and Matt Skiba. Over the years, Barker and his bandmates have gone through various highs and lows, including a hiatus in 2005, Barker's plane crash in 2008, DeLonge's departure from the band in 2015, Hoppus' cancer diagnosis in 2021, among others. However, in 2022, the three musicians joined forces once again to release their single "Edging" and also performed together at Coachella earlier this year.
Barker stated on Apple Music 1 that the group needed to individually heal before reuniting. He expressed happiness in seeing their personal growth during their time apart and feeling closer to his bandmates. He emphasized how this experience allowed him to appreciate their work and genuinely celebrate its impact on people. DeLonge referred to his bandmates as his "brothers" and shared his enjoyment in creating their best songs and giving their best performances. He believed that Blink-182 currently represents the epitome of enjoyable work.
In September 2021, upon receiving the news that he was free of cancer, Hoppus expressed his immediate desire to "create music with my closest companions in the entire world."
“That’s the only thing I f—king want to do, and it’s the only thing I have the privilege of doing,” he emphasized on Wednesday. “The sheer joy on people’s faces and the indescribable feeling of being a part of this band surpasses anything else. All I ever wished for was to recover enough to witness my wife and child, and to step onto the stage, as I mentioned before, to witness the smiles, tears, and the crowd singing along. I am literally moved to tears every single night while performing.”
As Blink-182 prepares for their upcoming album release, Barker is also getting ready to welcome his first child with wife Kourtney Kardashian. Recently, the band had to postpone several shows during their U.K. tour as Barker hurried home to support Kardashian, 44, who underwent emergency fetal surgery.
On September 8, a source exclusively revealed that Kourtney had experienced a frightening medical situation. However, she is now thrilled to have overcome it and is relieved that it's all in the past. The source also mentioned that Travis has resumed his tour, as Kourtney's health has significantly improved. Both of them are immensely relieved that this challenging period is now behind them.
