After the highly publicized breakup of Blink-182 in 2005 Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker found themselves navigating both personal and creative fallout from their strained relationship with guitarist Tom DeLonge. While DeLonge went on to form Angels & Airwaves, Hoppus and Barker decided to channel their energy into a new project that retained the urgency of pop-punk but carried a darker, more electronic edge. They recruited guitarist Shane Gallagher (The Nervous Return) and guitarist/keyboardist Craig Fairbaugh (The Distillers) to round out the lineup. Together they set out to craft a sound that both acknowledged their pop-punk roots and explored new territory that reflected the turbulence of their recent past.
The band’s name +44 actually came about in a fittingly transient way while they were on tour overseas. The band noticed their phones would display “+44” (the international dialing code for the United Kingdom) and it stuck as they built a new identity apart from Blink-182. That spirit carried into their 2006 debut album When Your Heart Stops Beating, which married driving punk rhythms with electronic flourishes that honestly work. The record showed that while Blink’s chapter had ended, Hoppus and Barker still had plenty to say.
Standout Songs: “Baby Come On”, “When Your Heart Stops Beating”, “155”
