Matthew Morgis

There is a reason most bands don’t release any type of films, and that reason, according to Tom DeLonge, is because “It’s difficult!”

DeLonge, the lead singerand guitarist for Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves (AVA), is gearing up to release a science-fiction movie about human connection with AVA while on tour with Blink supporting its new album, “Neighborhoods,” which is set to drop Sept. 27.

DeLonge will bring the movie, titled “Love,” to the Cinemark in Moosic on Wednesday, Aug. 10 for a one-night-only premier, and his punk trio Blink-182 to the Giant Center in Hershey on Saturday, Aug. 13.

The musician checked in with the Weekender to talk about all that’s happening in his world.

 MORGIS: How many years has this movie been in the making?
DELONGE: We just finished our fifth year working on this. We wanted it to be out with Angel’s second album, but then the project just kept getting larger to the point where all of our ambition became real potential.

MORGIS: Is it difficult having the movie/double album and new Blink record dropping around the same time?
DELONGE: Yeah, it’s definitely a lot to juggle. It really wasn’t meant to be that way, the Blink record just took a little bit longer than we expected, so it all ended up on top of each other. Let’s just say I never plan on doing this ever again.

MORGIS: Being involved with two different bands, how do you draw the line as to which riffs or lyrics go to what act when you’re writing?
DELONGE: I’m more prolific with my song writing than I’ve ever been, so I’m not concerned anymore about what goes where. The way I work, I start an idea with one band and keep working with it until it’s perfect and something I like. It’s not as big of a struggle as to what goes to which band, as it is a struggle of finding time to write with each band.

MORGIS: You’ve released two new songs that will be on the Blink-182 record, and they were very different. How diverse is “Neighborhoods?”
DELONGE: Very diverse actually. It’s basically those two songs, and everything in between as well. You have the progressive songwriting from me, the classic nature of Mark (Hoppus’) song writing and then experimental rhythmic beats from Travis (Barker) that take songs to new levels. It truly is a great mix to the three of our perspectives.

MORGIS: What was the recording process for the album?
DELONGE: Well, it was different for us. We had two different studios and two different engineers. We would be sending song ideas back and fourth, and while one of us was finishing a song, the others would be starting a new one. I think that’s why the record is so diverse.

MORGIS: What was the goal when you started Blink-182?
DELONGE: My goal was to be as big as NOFX. We wanted to play clubs in front of a few hundred people; we had no idea shows any bigger happened. Little did we know …

MORGIS: So then having made it musically, what was the goal with AVA?
DELONGE: World domination! I mean, I seriously thought we were going to be the biggest rock band in history, and well, that’s pretty difficult to achieve.

MORGIS: Did you try at all to carry your message from AVA into this new Blink record?
DELONGE: I want to be known for all that I do; for people to think of Tom and think of a little bit of everything. The message from AVA is me, so there is a part of it everywhere I go, but the lyrical and philosophical scenes don’t fit in Blink because they don’t represent the other two guys.
With that said, I’m not two different people either. I have my beliefs and the way that I act and carry myself with both bands is the same. I still have the same beliefs when I’m on the road with Blink, and I’m still the young skateboarding shit that blasts punk music when I’m on tour with AVA — even if I’m the only one if the band that does that.