Blink-182 bassist/singer Mark Hoppus told Spinner in a new interview that work will resume on a long-awaited new album after they return home from their first U.K. tour since reforming in early 2009. Hoppus said, “As soon as we get back from this tour we are continuing recording. Our goal is to turn it into the label by the end of the year, but we’ll see how the recording goes. It could be sooner, or it could be a little later — but the most important thing to us is to write a record that we absolutely believe in.”

Asked what the record will sound like, Hoppus replied. “I think it’ll probably be the next step beyond the last Blink-182 record. I think we’ll always have a strong sense of melody and catchiness to our songs — but we also want to try new things, but still keep Blink-182 as it’s always been.”

Blink reunited after a four-year hiatus, the band reconciling in part because of drummer Travis Barker‘s brush with death in a September 2008 plane crash.

Despite a successful reunion tour last summer and talk of new music, the band’s first album since 2003 has yet to materialize.

Frontman Tom DeLonge issued a new record earlier this year from his other band, Angels & Airwaves, while Barker will release his solo debut this fall.

Hoppus told Spinner that the band has spent more time touring than working on a new record because “we wanted to get back to the point where we are a proper band, and not just three guys in the studio.”

When asked if he thinks the punk trio is still relevant, Hoppus said, “Yeah I absolutely do . . . I was actually really humbled and surprised and floored at how great the reaction was when Blink-182 reformed. We didn’t know if people would still care.”

Article from 1057thepoint.com