Recording and production Neighborhoods (Blink-182 album)

— tom delonge, reflecting on album s production in 2012

the band began recording demos of new material in 2009. 3 members brought song ideas worked on years. band got together, barker said trio got inspired practicing old songs , listening them again, , decided record demos. there 4 demos done, , 1 near completion, night . trio wanted release single then, realized ambitious complete before reunion tour began in july. sessions stalled summer 2009 reunion tour, during band reconnected musically , emotionally. during tour, barker got phone call dj had overdosed , died in new york, heavily affected him. in addition tragedy regarding dj am, delonge diagnosed skin cancer following year, cleared. band did large amount of writing before leaving on tour, upon completion of tour, took time off take couple of months , chill , other stuff, intentions regroup in 2010. in june , july 2010, band spent time @ rehearsal spot, , intention wrap touring september, , stay in studio rest of year until album finished. album sessions partially documented in blinkumentary, scrapped in 2012.

barker later accused delonge, seen here in 2011, of not caring album or listening final mixes.

the recording , release of neighborhoods delayed multiple times. recording s delay due way band chose work — in bits , pieces, alone , together, in pair of california studios — in addition each member s busy schedules. album recorded @ both delonge s studio in san diego , in los angeles hoppus , barker. recording in separate studios delonge s idea, , ideas exchanged via e-mail. various engineers met in person trade files on hard drives. although 3 musicians in same room while recording, opting work on parts individually, delonge asserted method of recording more efficient way of working considering schedules, not due lack of unity within band. in addition, barker releasing solo record, delonge involved in angels & airwaves, , hoppus had fly new york city once week film television show, hoppus on music. record band s first self-produced, due death of long-time producer jerry finn in 2008. not did finn helm last 3 studio albums, served invaluable member of band: part adviser, part impartial observer, helped smooth out tensions , hone sound. still feel he’s in studio us, because me, personally, recording , being in studio, learned jerry, said hoppus. instead of producer, each band member had own dedicated sound engineer. delonge, against using producer after self-producing of angels & airwaves records, described band situation democratic, noting learned during recording process let go , okay not being able control everything.

hoppus attributed album s delay band learning work without finn, , both delonge , hoppus expressed frustration during sessions @ band s cabal of publicists, managers , attorneys (which delonge described absolute diarrhea of bureaucracy ). result of band s split each members hiring own attorney, and, during sessions of neighborhoods, band had 4 managers. later, revealed delonge , hoppus go months without direct communication, speaking through managers. hoppus moved london family late in recording process, complicating matters. under pressure, band released statement in april rescheduled european tour dates due album s prolonged recording. decision — hugely expensive 1 — protested delonge pushed forward barker, felt trio had made commitments tour new material. biggest argument of recording process ensued, resulted in geffen records setting july 31 deadline record amid concerns volatility of band, explaining there penalties if album not turned in on time. delonge joked that, ll drive (geffen) president s house @ 2 in morning , hand through bedroom window @ last possible minute. band, whole, entered studio 1 or 2 weeks following release of statement in spring, 3 days dedicated writing. recording lasted through may , summer, , time of july 31 deadline, record near completion , completed on august.