If at first you totally succeed, try again anyway? Last week, the world was officially introduced to Simple Creatures -- a brand-new pop-punk royalty duo comprised of Blink-182 bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus and All Time Low guitarist/vocalist Alex Gaskarth. Along with the group's unveiling came the premiere of their debut single "Drug" (watch its music video below).
According to a recent interview with Kerrang, Hoppus explained that Simple Creatures took shape last year during a time when he "fell into a really awful depression." Blink-182 fans may remember that 2018 was a particularly trying time for the hometown legends -- with Travis Barker, the band's drummer, repeatedly hospitalized with various serious health issues and numerous Blink tour dates canceled or rescheduled as a consequence. Hoppus turned to the only thing he knew to counter those dark days: 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," Hoppus said. "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. I never called anybody else, and we ended up making this batch of songs that we loved."
"Drugs" is a subtle departure for the two frontmen. The pair trade lead vocal duties over sharp, angular guitar work and a propulsive beat. While the song doesn't stray entirely from the sing-along poppiness of Hoppus' and Gaskarth's other bands, there's a certain underlying darkness to the tune that feels fresh.
"We’re both deeply sad people on the inside," Gaskarth told Kerrang. "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. The sensibility that you can have these weird, out-there, pseudo pop songs and lace them with real emotion and darkness."
Simple Creatures plan on releasing their debut EP, a six-song effort titled "Strange Love" in March, with another EP reportedly already finished and ready to roll out. As for tour dates, mum's the word but Hoppus said they're looking to play shows in between their respective bands' busy schedules. Stay tuned to SoundDiego.com for more information.
