Tom DeLonge Talks to Billboard About Box Car Racer

I'm incredibly indifferent if I would want a second album from them, or even a tour for that matter. I'm not trying to start another "Tom sucks" thread here, but if he tries sounding/"singing" like he does with AVA it would completely ruin it for me. This like his solo album he did after the departure from Blink just feels like small cash grab too.

 

I totally get Tom's perspective on wanting to have Blink grow musically, but his attitude here is a little.. I dunno, condescending? towards Blink. Definitely doesn't get along with Mark hahah

 

I'm intrigued, but I agree Tom would have to drop the AvA vocals and riffs. I would love to see him make good on his supposed influences for BCR originally and go heavier. Channel the Fugazi, Quicksand, etc influences. Doubt it happens but it would be great to hear Tom make music that doesn't sound like AvA again.

 

Travis is 100% wasting his time with blink-182 if the most recent record is any indication of what he's trying to do these days ;)

 

Hard to be wasting time when the paychecks are as high as they are.

 

Box Car Racer with landscapes? No thanks.

 

The Boxcar Racer record is a movie like "Reservoir Dogs" Or "Pulp Fiction" it's amazing and it served it purpose at that time and will always be a classic. I can't see Tom successfully channeling who he was 15 years ago to make a worthy follow up. And that's totally okay, people change, evolve and grow. He shouldn't be the same person 15 years later, musically or personally so I wouldn't expect something to sound like it. Having a sequel would just ruin it in my humble opinion.

Also on a side note, yeah he seemed a LITTLE condescending to Blink. Pretty apparent he has a chip on his shoulder I think, but whatever.

 

I feel so callous, so lost, confused, again.

 

Based on Neighborhoods, Angels and Airwaves, and his recent Blink demo album I have very little confidence this could be executed well. The BCR album was enjoyable in its time, but I don't return to it much anymore except for maybe a song or two here and there. I'm fine if he wants to bring that project back, but I just don't have very high expectations for it.

 

I respectfully disagree with that premise in this sense: I don't think just because he's older, that he can't make a more aggressive or heavier type of music. There are tons of guys his age or older than still play punk, hardcore, etc, or edgier music not like AvA. Sure, the lyrics might change, but musically? He could for sure do it.

And let's be honest, Tom is all over the place musically. You can tell from interviews that he still really loves punk music, that it will always be part of his DNA, which is awesome. He also seems to go on binges to where he listens to or writes different things, hence the stuff he is writing now not sounding like AvA. Maybe after a decade of making similar music with Angels vibes, he is ready to try something different. In honestly shocked he has done so many similar sounding AvA projects.

I agree though that he would need to be fully into it, and be ready to do different things vocally and musically. Time will tell.

 

Haha, I mean, duh, it's the logical thing to do for that sweet blink money. Was speaking more in terms of making listenable music.

 

Wouldn't it be like everything else he's done for the past 10+ years? Just tons of echo/delay/chorus/U2 sounding riffs that we've all heard over and over again? Sorry, heard it.

 

I never said he couldn't make heavier music because of his age. The Descendents released one of the best pop punk records of last year and they're in their 50s. I was simply saying because of the nature of when that record was recorded and who he was at the time trying to re-create that magic is going to be damn near impossible without sounding like a rip off. I think we can all agree the Tom we all loved 15 years ago is a vastly different individual today, music included in that conversation or not.

 

I'm an admitted Tom fanboy so I'll be happy no matter what. A new Box Car Racer album could be incredible but if it's AVA I'd be just as hyped.

 

I don't buy any of it. Put the cork in the bottle Tom.

 

Gotcha, and that I can get behind. I don't want him to tarnish the first record either.

 

This was a really good read actually