This week on After School Radio on Apple Music Hits, Mark Hoppus is joined by Avril Lavigne who discusses her upcoming album 'Love Sux'. They talk about working together on the project, the 20th anniversary of her debut album ‘Let Go’, signing to Travis Barker’s label, Avril's love of Pinterest, moving to Malibu, adapting her breakout single “Sk8er Boi” into a feature film, and much more.
Avril Lavigne Tells Mark Hoppus About Her New Album ‘Love Sux' And Says It's The Album She's Always Wanted To Make...
I'm so excited. The whole energy around it, it was so fun to make it, to get in the studio with Feldy and Mod, Travis, and even you. It was just such a good time. The album's got a pop punk vibe all the way through and I feel like this is a type of album I've wanted to make for a long time. My last album was very introspective and deep and this one is just rocking all the way through. And I'm really excited to take this out and play these songs live… I feel this is my most alternative record sonically. There was a period where it was, on my first album, it was like, "Okay, I want to rock out. I want guitars. I want to sound like a band. I want drums." At the time, it was bubble gum music. Super pop music was in so I had to fight for that. But then a few albums in, people were like, "Radio just don't play songs with guitars and live drums." I had to evolve, but things had to dial back a bit. Not that I wanted to do that, but I did. And so, with this album, I just wanted to not hold back at all and just guitars, drums, just go for it. And so I feel like I've always wanted to make this record. And then lyrically, it's funny because, I mean, the album is called 'Love Sux' and I went into this record feeling that way, genuinely. I still do. I still do, but, I mean, it was a time for me to reflect on my past relationships and my past experiences in love and the ups and downs I've been through. And I still experience that, and so I think in the pandemic, especially with having so much time to do songwriting, it gave me an opportunity to really go there and it felt good to go there.
Avril Lavigne Tells Mark Hoppus About Being Excited To Work With Him On ‘Love Sux’...
I was really excited to work with you. I mean, to be honest, you're one of my favourite artists. 'Dude Ranch' and' Enema of the State', those were the records I was listening to in high school and as a teenager and I feel like they were really impactful on me as I was coming into my own musical identity. So when I had the opportunity to work with you, which was over Zoom, which was different. I mean, I was so excited and I was really impressed with how efficient you are in the studio. You write, you record yourself, you can engineer, you sing, you're playing, and so having you on the album is a huge honour for me. So I'm really excited about our collaboration.
Avril Lavigne Tells Mark Hoppus About Bringing in Collaborators For The Album…
Basically, this is the first record where I've had this amount of features or features really. So I got in the studio with John Feldmann and Mod Sun, and Travis and I were working together, and then MGK came along. We wrote a song called "Boys Lie" together.
Avril Lavigne Tells Mark Hoppus About the 20th Anniversary of Her Debut Album ‘Let Go’...
This year marks the 20th anniversary for my first album 'Let Go'. I don't know if it's just because of how long it's been or with a resurgence or whatever you want to call it in the pop punk scene right now, but people are really bringing up "Sk8er Boi' a lot. They've been asking me to perform it. It goes with this album too. So I don't know, but it's been fun because, I mean, it's a song I've been playing live for 20 years now and weirdly enough still today people are digging it and it's taken on a whole new life of its own.
Avril Lavigne Tells Mark Hoppus About Working To Adapt "Sk8er Boi” Into A Feature Film...
Actually, I'm going to turn the song into a film. I'm in the process of putting together a film right now for it.That's a lot of work, I'll tell you. Meeting with production companies, I have my storyline and my idea and then assembling a team, talking and meeting with different writers. And then I get different pitches and then I talk to them. So I found someone right now that I'm digging. And so I think we're moving forward. And then once the script's written, I'm just producing and overseeing the whole project. But will you make a cameo?
Avril Lavigne Tells Mark Hoppus About Signing To Travis Barker’s Label DTA…
Part of what was cool about this album was I went into it without management and without a record company. And so I didn't have any deadline or anyone telling me what direction to go in. So it was just so fun. It was just like making this album with all my friends and cool ass people in the scene. And then just with working with Travis and stuff, the more we worked together, he brought it up and wanted to sign me to his label and I was like, "Hell yeah, let's do this. This will be a ton of fun.
Avril Lavigne Tells Mark Hoppus About Moving To Malibu...
So I was in the Beverly Hills area probably for 15 years, and then when the pandemic hit, I took a drive out here and I saw the houses on the water and I was like, "Why am I not living out there?" I'd like to be able to just have a coffee and see the ocean, especially if I'm going to be sitting at home a bunch. I like it because it feels like I'm out of the city, and being from Canada and growing up in the country and dirt biking, four-wheeling, and all that stuff, I feel that vibe. The vibe is just different. I feel like I'm in the country, but I'm close enough to the city. Everyone's got air streams out here. There's a campsite around and you can just feel it's such a different vibe. People are really chill too.
Avril Lavigne Tells Mark Hoppus About Her Love of Pintrest…
I go on Pinterest a lot. I make a lot of mood boards and stuff and look books. So if I have a music video or a project or if I'm decorating my house or a room in a house, I mean, I use it for everything. Hairstyles or different colour references, if I'm throwing a birthday party, anything. I love Pinterest, yeah.
Avril Lavigne Tells Mark Hoppus About Yungblud...
Yungblood is cool and he's a friend of mine. I actually worked with him too in the studio. He came to my house and he played me his album and all his songs at my home studio. And this is one of the songs he played for me. It's his current single and I think it's really great, and I love what he's doing musically.
