I’m no different from anybody else who gets inspiration from music when it comes to creating non-musical works. Music changes our perceptions of things in ways we rarely even consider. There’s a fun internet trend going about lately that shows scenes from movies where the musical tracking has been removed. Unsurprisingly, the result is often quite comical. I’ve even resorted to using music to demonstrate tone and its effect on mood in my classroom. One of my favorite go-to examples of this is using the official Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince trailer juxtaposed with a fan-made trailer that uses different music and cuts to make it much more like a stereotypical teen comedy. The first thing my students note is the difference in music changes perceptions completely.

This change of perception was something I accidentally realized I needed when it came to writing Antiphon: Fire and Stone. Being a fan of much traditional fantasy like The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or Wizard of Earthsea, I realized that my earliest abandoned attempts were much too derivative—maybe not so much in plot but rather in style. I was born in the mid-80s in the American South. So even though I grew up in touch with my Scottish heritage, I’m hardly British like Tolkien or Rowling, and while I’m an American like LeGuin, I’m from a very different generation. I slowly began to realize that I wanted to begin reshaping the fantasy world of Antiphon into something that was a bit more reflective of that American background that I grew up in. This was largely unconscious at the onset, but it became clearer to me as I began to reimagine the lives and relationships of my characters—particularly Kord and Meara. The epiphany came as I was in the midst of writing yet more character notes, wondering whether or not I’d actually get along with Kord as a friend. When I thought, “no, I think Kord is not really someone I’d be great friends with, but he’s someone I’d have wanted to be as a teenager,” I noticed I’d been listening to Blink-182 for hours. “That’s it! Blink-182 is the soundtrack of Antiphon!”

Blink-182’s music, particularly their earlier works, often revolved around themes and experiences that are common among teenage males, like Kord. Their songs capture the angst, insecurity, and rebellion that many young men feel as they navigate the complexities of growing up. I realized that Kord had these elements, but they were things I’d largely grown out of by high school.

Musically, Blink-182’s fast-paced, punk-inspired sound mirrors the energy and restlessness of teenagers. Their lyrics often deal with issues related to relationships, identity, and societal expectations. For example, songs like “Dammit” and “Up All Night” capture the confusion and frustration of trying to find one’s place in the world. This, I realized applied to the entire student-body of the Academy to one degree or another. They ostensibly have some direction, like Awyn or Beorn, but as the plot proceeds, even they find that their resolute direction isn’t as helpful and guiding as they originally thought. Most of the Tristans express some unsurety about their roles in the wider world once they leave the Academy. Meara particularly exemplifies this as she composes and performs a song herself which reflects many of the lyrics of Blink-182’s works. However, she is likewise a bit mysterious for Kord and the reader as her actions are sometimes inscrutable—which I intended to reflect the reality that Kord is experiencing as a young man in trying to understand this intelligent and alluring young woman.

Further, Blink-182’s songs touch on issues like depression, anxiety, and the pressure to conform. For example, “Stay Together for the Kids” addresses the pain of growing up in a broken family, and “Go” deals with a child’s perspective on his mother’s abusive relationship. These songs directly inspired my realization that Kord’s father was (at least at times) both physically and emotionally abusive, himself a broken and bitter man. One of my earliest drafts had Kord’s father directly portrayed as a very loving, emotionally open widower—and resultingly Kord in the early drafts was just too damn well adjusted even given the upheavals in his life.

Externally, Blink-182’s music reflects the challenges that teenage boys face in their interactions with the world around them. Their songs often confront societal norms and expectations and highlight the struggle to find acceptance and belonging. Songs like “Anthem Part Two” celebrates the rebellious spirit of youth, and it played a role in both Kord’s and Awyn’s rebellious and impulsive natures.

Finally, it’s important to note that not all of Blink-182’s work is as serious as this article might make it sound. In fact, much of their work is light-hearted and comical—just like teenagers are apt to be. I felt like it gave me a great balance to figure out how to step back into the mind of a young adult, and with so many different songs, figure out how the various themes were central to many of the characters.

So that’s how I discovered and came back to analyze how Blink-182 shaped Antiphon: Fire and Stone.