Blink-182's Tom DeLonge Says Streaming Music Is Like 'Killing Elephants For Their Tusks'

Most of Blink-182's music is currently available to stream on Spotify, but that doesn't mean Tom DeLonge is in favor of it.

"I tell people condoning streaming is like condoning the Chinese that are killing elephants for their tusks and carving ivory statues," he told Faster Louder. "It's cool to put on your shelf but if you really think about what you're doing it sucks. Streaming music is doing the same thing to artists — might not be killing 'em but it's killing the industry. It might be cool for you as somebody that likes music but you're not really thinking about the effect it has. We've got to value our art, you know?"

That's a pretty deep metaphor, and there are many who agree with him (most notable Taylor Swift, who pulled her entire catalog from Spotify a couple weeks ago).

Regardless, the show will go on for Blink. DeLonge recently told fans that a new album finally got the financial backing it needed.

"We've been searching vigorously for a partner of how we're going to put that out," DeLonge told WRRV. "I literally think I got the last email last night, as far as signing this paperwork to say, 'Okay, this is our partner.' So, I can't announce anything yet, but next is all the scheduling of when and how, where and with whom we do it. So I think the goal is right after the holidays, we're going to be going pretty hardcore."

Co-frontman Mark Hoppus let the public know a new album was on the agenda in August.

"We are basically at the very beginning of the process," Hoppus said. "We were going to start recording at the beginning of this year, but there were some things happening in some of our personal lives that prevented us from getting in the studio, so now we are getting in the studio at the end of this year instead."

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Blink-182, Tom Delonge, Mark Hoppus