Estevan Oriol/DGCBlink-182 is making progress in the studio with new guitarist and singer Matt Skiba. In fact, drummer Travis Barker tells NME that Skiba is "killing it" and that he's "fun to play with and write with."
"We're just getting started but I think we've got like four or five songs right now that I'm really, really happy with," says Barker. "There's a song called 'Punk Rock Cliche' which I love the most right now. It's about friends of ours and their relationships."
In the recording sessions with Skiba so far, Barker has found that the new member has brought over some of the sounds from his other band, Alkaline Trio.
"They sound different but still the same," says Barker of the new material. "Obviously, it's Matt Skiba singing so there's hints of Alkaline Trio, or at least Matt's contributions to Alkaline Trio, mixed with my drumming and Mark's voice and stuff. It's really cool and I really love what we've done so far."
Skiba joined Blink earlier this year after founding member Tom DeLonge left the band following a very public falling-out with Barker and bassist Mark Hoppus.
"The goal here is to come up with an album and just write," Barker says. "We don't put a limit on how many songs we're gonna write. [We just] write a bunch of songs and when we feel like there's an album ready, there's an album ready. You know, no pressure, no deadlines."
In addition to working with Blink, Barker has just released his new memoir, Can I Say: Living Large, Cheating Deat and Drums, Drums, Drums, which chronicles everything from his struggles with drug addiction, his two divorces and the tragic plane crash that he survived in 2008.
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