Travis Barker
Intrigue abounds, but Travis Barker remains calm. This guy is so in control of the universe and everything in it, that freaking out just isn't an option - unless he's getting paid to pound the crap out of a drum kit onstage, of course.
How cool is he right now? He's so cool that his less famous band, Transplants, is a headliner on The Warped Tour. He's so cool that MTV camera crews have documented every second of his waking life for the last year for a new show called Meet The Barkers. He's so cool that he can honestly just shrug when he's asked for the billionth time if Blink-182's current hiatus means that they've broken up.
“People will obviously say what they want,” the fast-talking Barker says, as he fields The Question yet again. “The bottom line is, when we're ready, when we feel we're fixed and our family needs are taken care of, then we'll feel like we're ready to be in a band together again.
“For the last ten years, basically, we'd put out a record, tour for two-and-a-half years, write a record, tour, going nonstop. Everyone in the band has kids. We would come home and my son wouldn't know who I was. Everyone has taken the opportunity to spend time with our kids, but now it's getting busy for me. It was fun while it lasted. Anyway, Blink will probably, most likely, make a record in January of next year.”
Outside of wanting/needing a break from each other, Barker, with the wisdom of his 29 years, insists nothing significant has changed in the warm folds of Blink. “It doesn't really affect anything. A band is just like a relationship: If your wife says to you, 'I need time to be with the baby,' you have to grant her that time. You know, a band is the same way.
“But the rumors are retarded. It's entertaining. No matter what, Blink was taking the time off. I took the time off for Transplants, and it was a known thing that Blink wouldn't be working this year, regardless. All the speculation is flattering, but has it got spun out of control? Absolutely. Obviously, there's rumors that we've broken up or that we hate each other or I left the band or Boxcar is working again. It's just people making stories up. I wish there was a gnarly explanation of everything, but there's not.”
So It's Transplants Time.
Unquestionably gnarly are the prospects of Transplants, whose newest release, Haunted Cities, drops on Barker's own La Salle label in May. The band plans to come out firing on all cylinders with this CD, so whatever you do, don't call it a side project. “In no way, shape, or form is the Transplants a side project,” Barker says indignantly. “It's as important to me as Blink, but due to Blink's schedule, I wasn't able to give Transplants the attention it deserves. So this year has been devoted to Transplants. It's just like when I go make a Blink record.
“Basically, we've been working since December of 2004. We spent one week recording 26 songs, and 16 will go on the record. Neil Pogue is mixing, and it's the best-sounding record I think I've ever played drums on in my life. Obviously, I've played on a couple of records, but this one is amazing. It has 60 tracks of instruments on some songs, and you can hear everything.”
For those unfamiliar with the history, Transplants formed one day back in 2000 when Rancid singer/guitarist Tim Armstrong called up Barker and invited him to play on some tracks he'd recorded. Inventive singer “Skinhead Rob” Ashton collaborated further, and the three declared a band had been born and an album was in order. Their self-titled debut was released on Epitaph in 2002, and after a warm reception, they've been chomping at the bit to go at it again, and just maybe show the world a new way to make music.
“What we're doing in Transplants is groundbreaking,” Barker declares. “It's such a departure from what I do in Blink. We're influenced by drum 'n' bass, rock, hip-hop. We'll find this record crosses over not just to rock, but hip-hop stations. Not since nü metal have I heard a record played on rock and hip-hop stations.
“Everything's outside of the box for Transplants. You're challenged to make acoustic drums sound like electronic drums. We used djembes to sound like 808s. I used acoustic drums to play drum 'n' bass, swing songs with raps swung over. It's exciting, undiscovered territory for me. Things are built off beats. I can give Tim six beats and he'll write to them. It's such a different songwriting process: it's so different from being in a room and saying, 'We'll write a song.'”
How cool is he right now? He's so cool that his less famous band, Transplants, is a headliner on The Warped Tour. He's so cool that MTV camera crews have documented every second of his waking life for the last year for a new show called Meet The Barkers. He's so cool that he can honestly just shrug when he's asked for the billionth time if Blink-182's current hiatus means that they've broken up.
“People will obviously say what they want,” the fast-talking Barker says, as he fields The Question yet again. “The bottom line is, when we're ready, when we feel we're fixed and our family needs are taken care of, then we'll feel like we're ready to be in a band together again.
“For the last ten years, basically, we'd put out a record, tour for two-and-a-half years, write a record, tour, going nonstop. Everyone in the band has kids. We would come home and my son wouldn't know who I was. Everyone has taken the opportunity to spend time with our kids, but now it's getting busy for me. It was fun while it lasted. Anyway, Blink will probably, most likely, make a record in January of next year.”
Outside of wanting/needing a break from each other, Barker, with the wisdom of his 29 years, insists nothing significant has changed in the warm folds of Blink. “It doesn't really affect anything. A band is just like a relationship: If your wife says to you, 'I need time to be with the baby,' you have to grant her that time. You know, a band is the same way.
“But the rumors are retarded. It's entertaining. No matter what, Blink was taking the time off. I took the time off for Transplants, and it was a known thing that Blink wouldn't be working this year, regardless. All the speculation is flattering, but has it got spun out of control? Absolutely. Obviously, there's rumors that we've broken up or that we hate each other or I left the band or Boxcar is working again. It's just people making stories up. I wish there was a gnarly explanation of everything, but there's not.”
So It's Transplants Time.
Unquestionably gnarly are the prospects of Transplants, whose newest release, Haunted Cities, drops on Barker's own La Salle label in May. The band plans to come out firing on all cylinders with this CD, so whatever you do, don't call it a side project. “In no way, shape, or form is the Transplants a side project,” Barker says indignantly. “It's as important to me as Blink, but due to Blink's schedule, I wasn't able to give Transplants the attention it deserves. So this year has been devoted to Transplants. It's just like when I go make a Blink record.
“Basically, we've been working since December of 2004. We spent one week recording 26 songs, and 16 will go on the record. Neil Pogue is mixing, and it's the best-sounding record I think I've ever played drums on in my life. Obviously, I've played on a couple of records, but this one is amazing. It has 60 tracks of instruments on some songs, and you can hear everything.”
For those unfamiliar with the history, Transplants formed one day back in 2000 when Rancid singer/guitarist Tim Armstrong called up Barker and invited him to play on some tracks he'd recorded. Inventive singer “Skinhead Rob” Ashton collaborated further, and the three declared a band had been born and an album was in order. Their self-titled debut was released on Epitaph in 2002, and after a warm reception, they've been chomping at the bit to go at it again, and just maybe show the world a new way to make music.
“What we're doing in Transplants is groundbreaking,” Barker declares. “It's such a departure from what I do in Blink. We're influenced by drum 'n' bass, rock, hip-hop. We'll find this record crosses over not just to rock, but hip-hop stations. Not since nü metal have I heard a record played on rock and hip-hop stations.
“Everything's outside of the box for Transplants. You're challenged to make acoustic drums sound like electronic drums. We used djembes to sound like 808s. I used acoustic drums to play drum 'n' bass, swing songs with raps swung over. It's exciting, undiscovered territory for me. Things are built off beats. I can give Tim six beats and he'll write to them. It's such a different songwriting process: it's so different from being in a room and saying, 'We'll write a song.'”
