Exclusive: Mark Hoppus Announces Solo Plans, Puts +44 To Bed

'I've been in the studio every week writing songs with the intention of putting out a record of my own,' former Blink-182 member tells MTV News.

Earlier this week, Mark Hoppus piqued the interested of Blink-182 fans everywhere when he told MTV News that he had been talking to former bandmate Tom DeLonge "several times a day," and when it came to the possibility of a reunion, "the future is wide open."

Of course, those answers only led to more questions.

Because while a Blink reunion would be amazing, it still sounds like a long shot. And while fans wait for the pieces to fall into place, they're still clamoring for new music from Hoppus and Travis Barker's other band, +44, who haven't made a peep since releasing their debut, When Your Heart Stops Beating, in late 2006.

So what's the deal with +44? When MTV News spoke with Hoppus backstage at the Woodie Awards in New York, why did he go to such great lengths to not mention the band by name? Is the group finished?

In part two of our exclusive interview with Hoppus, we get the answer to that question ... and a few others. And if you're expecting a new +44 album anytime soon, well, you might be out of luck.

On The Future of +44: "To answer your question about the interview at the Woodies — and, by the way, I want to thank everyone at MTV for choosing the most flattering photos possible to go in the article — the reason I wasn't able to answer with a great deal of specificity is that I didn't really know how to say what was going to happen. Since late August of last year, I've been in the studio every week writing songs with the intention of putting out a record of my own. As of this week, I've got about 10 songs in various stages of completion and another 10 ideas that I still want to work on. ... By the way, this interview will be the first time many people at the label are going to hear about the possibility of me doing an album on my own. Hi, Interscope!"

On Going Solo (Sort Of): "Travis has played on a bunch of [my]tracks, and he's working on his own album as well. We totally support each other in whatever we're doing. He's like a brother to me. I see him in our studio every week, and we'll be in the room of the studio he's working in, listening to stuff he's recorded, or he'll come into the room where I'm working and check out my songs. He's played on a bunch of them, and he's asked if I'll play on some of his songs. We collaborate and give each other ideas and support. That's what I meant when I said [in the interview at the Woodies], 'No matter what I work on, Travis will be a part of it.' "

On Just When We'll Get to Hear His Music: "Well, I just co-wrote a song for a movie coming out called 'Fired Up,' [and] the New Found Glory record I produced comes out soon, and I'm super proud of that. Those guys wrote a great album, and I think people will be blown away. There are a bunch of collaborations, producing offers and film and TV projects that I'm working on as well."