Blink 182’s New EP Expected Out December 18

Blink 182 bassist and co-vocalist Mark Hoppus has informed MTV that the trio’s new EP should be out December 18, in time for Christmas. In a written response to MTV, Hoppus discussed the first release of Blink 182’s “independent” era since parting ways with label Interscope Records.

“We’re very excited about getting these songs out before Christmas. As it stands today, the EP is set to release on December 18,” Hoppus wrote to MTV. “We’re not sure how many songs will make the final EP … hopefully all five, but we’ll make the final determination when the mixes are complete.”

“It’ll be something fun and funny for the holidays,” Hoppus added. “But the music is the most important thing by far, and we are truly excited for people to hear new music.”

Hoppus also mentioned that pre-orders are expected to be available “in the next week or so” from Blink 182’s official website. As for releasing the EP independently, Hoppus wrote:

“The future’s a wide-open door. We’re lucky to be in a position where, after 20 years in our band, we can be … open to all options.”

Meanwhile, Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker told Rolling Stone that he felt the new EP is a massive improvement on the band’s 2011 album Neighborhoods.

“To me already, this EP is a hundred times better than Neighborhoods … because we’re all in a room together … There’s some songs on there that I love, but for the most part it was disconnected,” Barker explained to Rolling Stone. “It was like, ‘You do this part in your studio, and then you’re gonna play on it and send it back to me.’ When we’re not in the studio together, you don’t have the opportunity to gel off each other.”

When discussing one of the new tracks that should end up on the Christmas EP, Barker said the pop punk trio got pretty wild with what they tried musically.

“I don’t even know. It’s way out. We all had some ideas. I went in the studio and I was just playing around. I had my electronic kit and I just played a straight drum pattern over it, and it sounded crazy. It changed the entire shape of the song,” Barker explained.

Blink 182 will be in Australia early next year for Soundwave 2013 and a series of headlining sideshows.

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