Yes, you admitted recently that you became addicted to pain killers after your back injury. What made you decide to come forward now and talk about it?
I wanted people to know that I was willing to practice what I was preaching—the inspirational nature of what this band is about. I wanted people to know that I was willing to do it myself.
Then with all you’ve gone through, do you now have a different vision or approach to the music for future albums?
I expect nowadays to go much further than anything I’ve done in the past. We play that way and we create that way.
When was the idea for Angels & Airwaves developed?
It was at the end of Blink [182], it just happened. I wanted to figure out what I wanted to do next in my music career. I put all the pieces together and this is just the picture of me.
What inspired you to go in this direction because it’s quite different from what you’ve done in the past?
I wanted to create music that made me feel good and I wanted to create music that made others feel good. I realized that if I can inspire other people truthfully, that’s what usually made me feel the best. I wanted to do something that pointed out that the future is something beautiful and mysterious and that the universe really had this infinite capability and infinite possibility.
While I-Empire is supposed to be the second part to your first release, We Don’t Need To Whisper, how is it different?
The music had to be more real, so a little more stripped down than the first record. It still has its moments of landscapes and grandeur, but it has some songs that are much more raw in nature. I guess musically and sonically it creates its own portraiture.
Instead of releasing two separate albums, would you just maybe spend more time and put out a double CD in the future?
I don’t know. It takes a long time for me to make a record, working everyday. I don’t know, it might be interesting, but I like to break it up though.
It’s been a few months since the release of the album I-Empire, are you all happy with it being that you’ve had time to let it sink in?
Yeah, I think the record is awesome and it’s even more fun playing it, especially loud and with a bunch of flashing lights. It’s even better than making it.
There has been a slight lineup change with the addition of Matt. You all have a lot of experience, having played with several bands. Does the experience help or disrupt the writing and recording process in regards to doing things your own separate way?
It just helps, yeah, it helps with the experience because we’re professional players and we know what we’re doing. We all have very different ways of working than in any of our other bands. It’s full of camaraderie and friendship and hard work. When I was in Blink, we never practiced or anything, and in this band we love to practice.
And how does this lineup feel?
It’s awesome. It’s like our wives are mad at us because we love being together so much.
Angels & Airwaves will be performing at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia on Feb. 14, Roseland Ballroom in NYC on Feb. 15, Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, on Feb. 16, Crocodile Rock in Allentown on Feb. 19. I-Empire, the album, is available now. For more, visit angelsandairwaves.com
Photo Credit: Miranda Penn Turin
