Travis Barker
From Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond by Pushkin Industries
August 25, 2026 · 60 min · Season 6 · Episode 221
About this episode
Travis Barker discusses his journey in music, his influences, and his projects with Justin Richmond.
Travis Barker grew up in Fontana, California, and was gifted his first drum kit at the age of four from his mother, who made him promise before she died that he would never stop playing. This was just before he started high school and though he spent his early years dabbling with skateboarding and other interests, he always came back to the drums. After graduating, he moved to Laguna Beach and spent his mornings collecting garbage and his nights playing gigs with punk bands until a touring slot with the Aquabats put him on the same bill as Blink-182, and through happenstance, in the band. What followed was one of the great runs in pop-punk history. Enema of the State and Take Off Your Pants and Jacket sold over 35 million copies worldwide, and Barker’s drumming redefined what a punk or alternative drummer could sound like in the mainstream. On today’s episode, Justin Richmond sits down with Travis Barker to discuss his dedication to his craft, his love of the Misfits and Ramones; and how nightly jams with Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt of Green Day led to the Blink side project Box Car Racer. Travis Barker’s documentary “Love Louder Than…
People in this episode
Host: Justin Richmond
Guest: Travis Barker
Topics covered
- Travis Barker
- punk music
- drumming
- Blink-182
- music history
- documentary
Keywords
- Travis Barker
- Blink-182
- punk music
- drumming
- Love Louder Than Fear
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Blink-182, Aquabats, Misfits, Ramones, Hulu, Disney+
Books & works: Love Louder Than Fear, Enema of the State, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket
Places: Fontana, California, Laguna Beach
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