Travis Barker, 47, was over the moon when his son, Landon Barker, 20, asked the Blink-182 drummer to play for his band. “It was so amazing getting to work with Landon,” the father-of-three told PEOPLE in a new interview on October 25. “To watch him grow up playing music and writing music since he was a kid has been a dream come true.” Most recently, Landon released his debut single “Friends With Your Ex” on September 22.
Of course, Landon made sure to ask his A-lister father to help out on the new track. “He asked me to come in and help him with his song ‘Friends With Your Ex,” Travis continued. “It was an honor to produce it and play drums on it.” The 47-year-old even released his son’s new single on his label, DTA Records. Not only is Travis’ work featured on the track, but Landon featured his girlfriend, Charli D’Amelio, in the music video for the song.
Additionally, Landon explained why he wanted Travis to help him on his own journey into the music industry. “I obviously wanted to look for help in the right places because I feel like I’d be stupid to not use my resources and the people that are around me,” he shared with the mag. “So I’ve always tried to take advantage of that and use that to my ability. I obviously wouldn’t put out a song — one, that [my dad] tells me is awful, and two, that he doesn’t want to drum on. I want the song to inspire him and I want the song to be appealing to him, and not just do it because I’m his son.”
Although Landon is Travis’ son, the rising musician noted that it wasn’t “easy” to get his dad to agree to sign him to Elektra Imprint DTA Records. “My dad would be like, ‘Show me that you want to sign,'” he recalled. “It wasn’t as easy as being like, ‘Sign me.’ I feel like I had to prove myself to get the opportunity to sign to them.”
Landon made sure to note that he admires his father’s continued dedication to his craft. “He wakes up early and still goes to the studio even after all his success,” Travis’ mini-me gushed. “So I’ve taken that with me. No matter what I do, never settle and never stop doing what I love because that’s how you become great.”
In recent weeks, Travis took to Instagram to celebrate Landon’s 20th birthday with a carousel of photos on October 9. “Happy Birthday to the most amazing son I could ever ask for. I can’t believe you’re 20!” the proud dad gushed in the caption. “The day you were born you made me a better person and you have filled my life with so much happiness. I’m so proud of the man you have become and I love you @landonasherbarker.”
Travis welcomed his son with his ex-wife, Shanna Moakler, 48, along with their daughter Alabama Barker, 17. He is also a stepfather to Shanna’s daughter Atiana De La Hoya, 24. The Grammy-nominated drummer is now married to Kourtney Kardashian and expecting his first child with the 44-year-old any day.