Mark Hoppus Says He Had To Re-Learn How To Sing, Play Bass After Chemo

Tomorrow (October 20) Blink-182 release their long-awaited new album, ONE MORE TIME..., the first since the band's classic lineup reformed after Tom DeLonge's departure in 2014. 

For many different reasons the album could easily have never been recorded, one of which was the cancer diagnosis of bassist Mark Hoppus, who underwent chemotherapy and is now cancer-free. However, in a new interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Hoppus revealed just how difficult it was to recover from his illness and return to being a musician.

“Once I was clear of the cancer diagnosis and got the all clear, I was still a fucking hollow, just shell," Hoppus says. "Sh**ty, weak brain eaten with the chemotherapy and pain and everything else. And then getting back in the studio to make this record was like learning how to play bass again, learning how to…"

Hoppus struggled to regain his singing voice, which was ravaged by the chemo treatments, but he was driven to get back to 100% once he and Travis Barker had begun talks of reuniting with DeLonge.

"The chemotherapy wrecked my vocal cords. I had to go to work with a vocal coach. I had to rebuild my throat," he says. "I had all this stuff had to rebuild to get to the point where we could go and walk on stage at Coachella and have one of the biggest shows of our career and have this album, which touch wood is one of the best albums we’ve ever written. It feels like the best time in the band in forever.” 

With DeLonge back in the fold, Hoppus had the support he needed to recover. “I remember sitting with Mark at his house and it was just very much like, ‘You’re sick,'” DeLonge says. “‘We’re going to get you through this and we’re going to make the best music we ever made. Let’s do it. Let’s have a North Star.’ I wanted him to have a North Star.”

Watch the full interview below.