In his first interview since Blink-182 announced in February of this year that they were taking an 'indefinite hiatus', DeLonge has revealed how he was inspired to get a new band together while the punk-pop trio were touring Europe at the end of last year, in support of their last self-titled album.

"Just before all the Blink-182 shit happened when we were in Europe, I has a really weird epiphany," DeLonge confesses to K!, "My heart was beating about 100 miles a minute for three weeks straight and it had never happened to me before in my life. I really felt like I’d been touched by something and I felt I was meant to do something massive."

DeLonge started working on the forthcoming Angels & Airwaves album which is expected to be released in April, shortly after Blink went on hiatus. Recording took place in the Foo Fighters' Los Angeles studio. "As the new record started coming together, it was so beyond my expectations," he says. "I honestly think that people are going to flip out when they hear this. I'm not even joking right now, it's so good. It's so much better than anything I’ve ever done and I think people will suspect God came down and wrote half of it!

"It sounds like it has the conceptual depth of Pink Floyds, the anthemic architecture of U2 but with Tom from blink writing all the melodies," DeLonge adds. "All the songs are very cinematic, anthemic and epic-sounding. The music sounds angelic. Every song gives you the chills and you feel like you want to cry but you're conquering the world at the same time. It sounds like stadium rock done by a band that's meant to be the absolute biggest band in the world."

Angels and Airwaves also includes guitarist David Kennedy (Boxcar Racer/Hazen Street) and drummer Atom Willard (Rocket From the Crypt/ The Offspring). At the time of the interview, DeLonge couldn't announce the name of the bassist, but internet reports last week stated that Ryan Sinn formerly of The Distillers, has joined AAA.

A DVD is also currently being made, which will accompany the band's forthcoming debut album.

"The movie is a third documentary, a third love story and a third CGI," he explains.”

It’s the story of the album, which is the story of the break-up of one of the biggest bands in the world and the creation of the world's greatest band.

"We're currently making the CGI sequences and we're working with one of the leading art supervisors of 'Star Wars'. It’s incredible stuff," DeLonge adds. "The documentary part is about me, my life and creating the new band and the love story is about a girl that's on drugs and a guy that's running from his life and they come in contact with the music and it changes them. The whole idea is that even though there is struggle in your life you can find happiness and love within the worst of times."

The front man is feeling extremely confident about his new band's potential, even going as far to suggest that his former band mates, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker, who have formed a new band called Plus-44 together, will be disgruntled when they hear the album.

"When I sat around planning this, I thought, 'Not only am I going to be back but I’m going to be about 10 times bigger that I ever was'. I feel like there's nothing that can stop me," he says. "All the bands say that they're going to be the biggest band in the world but no-one has any idea what I’m doing. Once they find out, they're all going to say, 'Shit, fuck! We've got a lot of work to do.' When this band lands on the world next year, it's going to be like the second coming of Christ!

"I always though Blink 182 was my life but I’ve realised that it wasn't, it was just the first stepping stone," DeLonge admits "I've heard Plus-44 and it's totally different to what I'm doing. They (Hoppus and Barker) are amazing musicians but I wouldn't want to be in their situation when this record comes out next year. That's how confident I am about this."

Also see:
 See Plus 44 section on aliens-exist.net.
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