'Tis the season for lots o' leftovers. Yesterday we gave you some yummy tidbits about Flyleaf, our Artist of the Week, and now we wanna serve you a heaping helping of what's left of the interview we did with Angels & Airwaves' Tom DeLonge at the TRL Rock Band special. So sit back, loosen your belt and enjoy…
Buzzworthy: What artists are you listening to these days?
Tom DeLonge: I was forced to listen to the new [Bruce] Springsteen record and I loved it. Forced in a beautiful way -- it was the only CD in the car. I love him. And I'm listening to a lot of Frank Sinatra right now because I'm always trying to relax.
BW: Do you play a lot of video games?
TD: No. My brother does, though.
BW: When you're on the road, what are some must-haves on your tour bus?
TD: We rent a bus when we go on tour, so they're always different. But we always have satellite, a DVD player. I usually try to have a shower on there, too. As a band, we try to stay close, so we all shower together. [Laughs.]
BW: When you went into the studio to record I-Empire, did you feel pressured to top your debut album?
TD: I always put a lot of pressure on myself. I always have to try to top my previous work. I went in saying that the only way for it to be better was for it to be more diversified. The pressure to do that was hard because I really liked the kind of epic, ethereal category we were making music in. So it was hard to kind of veer away from that, but I think we did really well.
BW: The songs are a little more upbeat this time around. Why is that?
TD: The first record was basically a recording of an emotional event that happened over a two-year period of time. Every single song that was recorded was representative of what I was going through in terms of my own personal life, coming from the breakup of my last band [Blink-182] into the whole genesis of Angels & Airwaves. So, on that first record, there were a lot of emotions. There was a lot of hope, and also a lot of sadness.
BW: "Rite of Spring" seems like a very personal song. Why did you write it?
TD: I was listening to a U2 song called "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" that Bono wrote about his dad passing away, and I was just blown away. You know how personal that is? It's one of the most brilliant songs I've ever heard, so I was like maybe I just have to be really, really honest. So I tried to write a really, really honest song.
BW: What's the message you're trying to convey to your fans?
TD: All you need is a goal; all you need is a vision. If you think about something long and hard, you'll become that. That's what a lot of kids don't realize.