Travis on Rock Mag

This interview with Travis Barker is taken from "Rock Mag", a music french magazine.

RM: Hey guy! How are you?
Travis: I'm fine! I'm on tour with Transplants. I'm in Cleveland, Ohio. It's lunchtime over here. And you, where are you? (The interview has been done by phone)

In Paris.
That's cool! Actually, I would prefer being in Paris more than here! (Laughs)

It's your first huge tour with Transplants, isn't it?
Yes. We played few small concert in clubs before or last album launch. After we played with Foo Fighters, but now, it's not the same anymore. We more feel it like a real tour.

Tim Armstrong said that Transplants was his new priority, do you feel the same way?
Yes man, exactly.

For the first time since Blink-182, you seems really implicated in a project. Do you like playing with Transplants as you used to with Blink-182?
Yeah, completly. They are almost like my brothers, I really enjoy playing with Transplants. Ok and, what do you think of our last album?

This album is amazing!!
Thanks a lot! But you didn't see us playing live...

I notice that you will come in Paris, on September 8th. Talking about that, how long will you be on tour with Transplants?
We play in US until August 15th, after that, we will go to Europe (around August 24th). We will play there for about 3 weeks, thereafter we will come back to US where we will play with Pennywise. After we will take a Christmas break, and around February, we will go to Japan.

To talk about you're last album, I notice that each song didn't sound the same, I mean different music styles, why did you chose to do that?
That came from all of us, we like a lot of different music styles, going from punk to raggae metal and hip-hop... There are no limits for our music. That's why Transplants sounds Transplants. Personaly, I like to play all kind of music, punk, hip-hop, and country (laughs)...

Sen Dog, B-real, Boo ya Tribe, and Rakaa work with you on the last album, how did that collaboration work?
All that guys are our friends, so we cannot really talk about collaboration. I see that like a group of friends how are doing what they like: some music.

More than drums, I've heard that you worked on the electronic part...
Actually, I used an electrical drums. I can use it almost like real drums or I can sampler a lot of stuff, like new sound, there's not limit! To tell you the truth, my drums part on the album are not really played. I mean they are not played live, the machine did it for me.

In the future, would you like playing other instruments?
I reallly like the piano and I would like to play the bass too. The thing I really like is rythm. And I still want to progress druming!

Plus-44 have been announced. When did you had the idea to create that band with Mark?
We started talking about it during the last Blink-182 tour.

I heard that you will work on electronic stuff in the band...
Yeah, I will use my electronic drums.

What kind of sound will be Plus-44? I heard that it will be inspired from the Cure and the 80's is it true?
I cannot really say. I can just say that it will be different... I cannot describe it because we don't have many tunes. We don't have any labels yet, and first we have to record this album!!! (laughs). So there will be an album but I don't think it will come out before the end of next year...

How do you organize your time between Transplants, Plus-44, your familly, and FSAS?
I have just enough time (lol) I wake up early and I work a lot. Like now I'm doing this interview. But I don't feel it like a boring stuff, I love that. It's not as if I was obliged to do that.

Let's talk Blink-182 now. Can you tell me why did you cancel you partecipation to relief concert in February?
Tom cancelled it.

And the atmosphere between you was so tensed that you cannot play one more time together?
No, it's just Tom who decided that he didn't want to play that kind of music and that he wanted to come back home, with his family.

After that, a lot of rumors came out. First, we talk about a hiatus. But some people said that your declaration were not really clear... You said "blink-182, do not exist anymore", and after you talked about a new album...
That's because I'm only 1/3 of the band, I'm not blink-182 alone. I mean I don't want to talk about it. All I can say it that you can ask your questions to two other persons...

Do you still see Tom and Mark?
Nobody talks to Tom anymore, he spend his all time with his family, he just wants to stay at home with them now! If you wants some more information, you can call Tom and directly ask him why he wants to spend his life in his house!

Do you think you can do a Blink-182 album without Tom?
No.

So the official reason for the Blink-182 hiatus is that Tom want to have a break, but not you and Mark?
Yes. Because Mark and I are still playing music together. We also have a family, but we love playing music.

Can you confirm the Blink-182 best-of?
Yes, it will come out in December I think.

Generaly, that kind of album is another word to say "split"...
Yes, Blink-182 do not exist anymore, but it's Tom falt.

So Box Car Racer go the same way?
It was just one time for an album, for fun, that's all. That's over now.

what about talking about another subject?
Good idea!

How did you enjoy Meet The Barkers?
That was really cool.

MTV announce a seconde season...
Yes, that should start in January I think...

When the Transplants tour will be done, what will you do?
In December, my new DC shoes model will come out. After I will record with Mark the Plus 44 album. And I'll probably do some stuff with DJ A.M., but there's nothing definite.