Viking Wizard Eyes/Columbia RecordsBlink-182 released their new album, Nine, in September, and you may have noticed that the record, despite its neon cover, is quite darker than its predecessor, 2016’s sunny California. As bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus tells Kerrang!, his battle with depression had a large impact on Nine‘s direction.
“I think I’ve realized that my brain naturally goes in cycles to dark places and I have to actively combat that,” Hoppus explains. “My brain can eat itself sometimes.”
“I’m not in a place right now where I want to write really happy, up-tempo songs,” he continues. “I felt that on this record there’s stuff underneath the surface that was bothering me. I needed to address it. It comes out in the lyrics.”
Hoppus shares that writing and performing music has become his way of addressing his mental health.
“I don’t like talking one-on-one with someone about weird things,” Hoppus says. “I’d rather talk to 10,000 people at a show about my deepest, darkest fears.”
“When music connects it’s when people are being honest with one another,” he adds. “I think that I’m in a headspace now where I want to be more open and honest with my lyrics.”
Hoppus continues to do just that with Blink’s new holiday single, “Not Another Christmas Song,” which is out now.
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