Avril Lavigne on Working with Travis Barker: "He Gets Me"

Signing to the Blink-182 drummer's label felt like a "natural fit"

BY Megan LaPierrePublished Nov 18, 2021

When he's gone, the pieces of her heart are missing him: Avril Lavigne has opened up about her relationship with longtime collaborator/pop-punk mogul Travis Barker and how they "just click" creatively.

In a new interview with Zane Lowe for the latest instalment of his At Home With series on Apple Music 1, the motherfucking princess explained her recent signing to the Blink-182 drummer's DTA Records — through which she just released her first single "Bite Me."

"Well, it all started with Blink-182 being one of my favourite bands," Lavigne told Lowe. "And I have admired Travis my entire career."

The duo actually first linked up in the studio sessions for Lavigne's 2007 album The Best Damn Thing, with Barker playing drums on the record.

"And then on this, Travis is producing," the singer-songwriter said of her new music. "We're writing together and we just had such a blast collaborating in the studio."

She continued: "Now I'm signed to DTA Records, which is his label, and it just felt like a natural fit it and it made sense."

Lavigne went on to give us a sneak peek into her collaborative process with Barker, who seems to be a kismet musical partner in crime.

I think creatively, we just click; he gets me. Working with Travis, you're totally right. Where he's like, "Well, what do you want?" And he's like, "Here's my opinion. Here's what I think." But ultimately he's like, "I want it to be your decision. I want you to be happy with it."

Because he gets it — because he's an artist. He'll like to sit around, chat with me, give me his opinion and feedback. But ultimately of course I'm going to listen to him; but he's like, "Make the decision for yourself." So yeah, it's been cool.


With Barker's guidance, it sounds like the Napanee, ON-hailing artist will be stepping into her power more than ever before on her new material. Maybe it doesn't have to be so complicated after all.

The producer seems to be becoming something of a punk Jack Antonoff, also collaborating frequently with the likes of Machine Gun Kelly and WILLOW — who tapped Lavigne for "G R O W" from her album lately i feel EVERYTHING.

Much to everyone's dismay, Barker was also recently on the receiving end of a lap dance from fiancée Kourtney Kardashian to a Blink-182 song at a wedding.

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