 Blink-182 Bassist, Mark Hoppus, Rocks Out!Fender 60 Cycle Hum NewsPosted 2004-04-23 Upon recording blink-182’s landmark self-titled CD, bassist Mark Hoppus took some time to talk to Fender® about his Artist Series bass, The Cure and getting rad!
I understand you finished the new album (“blink-182”). I read how you were looking to write a more “mature” record following “Take Off Your Pants And Jacket”. Now that it’s complete, how do you feel about it?
We never really set out to make a more “mature” record. We just wanted to try and explore these different ideas that we have been having over the past few years. I think that on the last record you can see indications of where we wanted to take our music, but I don’t think that we were really ready to take drastic steps back then – and on this record we were. We went into the recording studio with the attitude that this was not the NEXT blink-182 record, this was the FIRST blink-182 record. A record where you never second guess your gut instinct on a song or an idea. It was such a great way to record. Everything felt possible, so we just really pushed ourselves. It was a lot of fun!
I’ve heard that you have some special “guest stars” on the new album, namely The Cure’s Robert Smith. Tell me how that came together.
We wrote the music for this song (“All Of This”) and afterward we were sitting around talking and saying “wouldn’t it be cool if Robert Smith would collaborate on this song?” We made some calls and got in touch with him, and he was into the idea. So, we sent him the track in England, where he wrote the words and melody, recorded the vocals, and sent it back to us in the states. We added some finishing touches, and that’s pretty much how is all came together. We are all gigantic fans of The Cure, and to have him singing on the record is a dream come true. We’re so stoked!
Why did you feel compelled to title it “blink-182?”
The record actually has no title at all. We didn’t want to label it in any way. We just wanted the music to speak for itself.
You guys have become great pop songwriters in your own rite. Describe the writing process. Do you and Tom write separately and does Travis help with the arrangements?
Every song is completely different as far as how it is created, but we have always been 100 percent collaborative in writing. Especially on this new record. Every song went through a million different versions before we finished them.
Now that your Fender Artist Series bass is thoroughly road-tested, how is it working for you?
It is the best bass ever! Great tone, easy to play, and it looks cool as shit. What else could anyone ask for? I love it.
How much input did you have with your bass? Explain the process.
During the recording of “Enema of the State”, I was talking with Alex Perez (Fender Artist Relations Manager and Custom Shop veteran) about Jazz and Precision basses, and the things that I loved about each of them. And, we came up with the idea of incorporating elements of both of them into a new bass.
What was it about the Jazz Bass® body and Precision Bass® neck that drew you to the conclusion to combine the two?
I love the tone of the J Bass® body, and the P Bass® neck is amazing to play.
You’ve come a long way from your first bass that I saw on display in the Fender Museum a few weeks back. How long do you plan on loaning it to the museum and do you have a special memory of that bass that you would like to share?
That was the first bass I ever owned. My dad bought it for me when I was 15. In the very first band I ever played in, we were playing at a party at a friend’s house, and I thought I was all rad – rocking out on top of the practice amp I was using at the time. I lost my balance, fell over backwards and hit the wall with the headstock – breaking off one of the tuning pegs. It was to be the first of many failed “rock-outs” over the next 16 years!
Will you be touring most of next year?
Yes, we go to Europe in February, Australia and Japan in March, and do a full North-American tour in April, May, and June. And, that’s just the first half of the year!
For more information regarding blink-182, click here.
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