Mark Hoppus talks Simple Creatures influences, plans to release music

blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth recently set the internet ablaze with Simple Creatures.

Since the reveal, both musicians have talked about the project in interviews. They shared everything from which bands influenced them the most to plans to release more music and tour.

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Last week, Hoppus and Gaskarth took us all by surprise, announcing their new project, Simple Creaturesand dropping a new song, “Drugs.”

However, the duo kept quiet on other details about the band until this weekend. Talking to Kerrang!, they discussed the influences behind the band and being “deeply sad people”.

“We’re both deeply sad people on the inside,” Gaskarth offers. “That dark pop, goth, emo thing.”

“Those worlds collide for us. Outside of that, I think the punk rock thing we both came up on [was there too], where everything had a little bit of edge and grit,” he continues. “The sensibility that you can have these weird, out-there, pseudo pop songs and lace them with real emotion and darkness.”

The two musicians cite The Cure as being one of the most important influences, with Hoppus focusing on how frontman Robert Smith approaches songwriting.

“There were many, many times during the recording process that we referenced The Cure sounds, or the way that Robert Smith writes,” Hoppus says. “He’s obviously a huge inspiration for me.”

“I think Alex and me come from a catchy punk rock background,” he continues. For me, I grew up with Descendents and Bad Religion. For Alex it was blink and probably Green Day. I think we both have the same foundational core of catchy, energetic songs.”

How they came together

The blink-182 frontman also shared some details on what he and Gaskarth are plotting for Simple Creatures, from music releases to tour plans during an interview with radio station ALT 98.7 FM.

Hoppus explained that, about a year and a half ago after blink finished the first set of California tour dates, he “fell into this really awful depression.” His way to getting better was to go into the studio and work making music.

“I had this idea that I would make a record with all of my friends, all these people that along the way you see at a show, you tour together,” he explains. “So, I got in the studio with Alex, he was the first one that I called. And we wrote a song that I loved, and then he came back the next day an we wrote another song, and we wrote another song.”

“He was really great in the studio and has been a friend forever, and we always talked about making music together,” Hoppus continues. “I never called anybody else, and we ended up making this batch of songs that we loved.”

Thus, Simple Creatures was born.

Plans for Simple Creatures

Hoppus also explains they already have their first and second EPs ready to go, and will record and release music depending on the schedules for blink-182 and All Time Low’s new albums.

Regarding the first EP, he revealed (for the first time!) some details about it. It is called Strange Love, has six tracks and should be out around March 2019.

Plus, they’re definitely taking Simple Creatures on the road. Even though there aren’t any set plans, Hoppus says he hopes to be performing live around summer or fall.

“We definitely want to take it everywhere live,” he shares. “We don’t want to do the normal ‘go play a small club’ thing, so I think we’ll try and do warehouse parties or events… Or if someone called up and said ‘Hey, we have a, whatever, fashion week party next week in Paris, would you go play it?’ we would go and play it…”

Watch the interview in full below:

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