Landon’s Calling

LANDON’S CALLING

“Landon is calling.”Look behind the curtain with Gen Z’s most powerful couple—Landon Barker and Charli D’Amelio

Interview by Charli D’Amelio
Photos by Ellen Von Unwerth
Creative Producer: Erica Cornwall
DP & Video: Lukas Chimiel
Make Up Artist: Darian Darling
Hair Stylist: Aaron King
Fashion Stylist: Hunter Clem
1st Photo Assistant: Todd Weaver
2nd Photo Assistant: Ian Cush
Assistants: Liam & Alvin Fuentes
Tattoo Artist: Arbel

Landon Barker’s career started at birth. Normally this would sound hyperbolic, but the son of drummer extraordinaire Travis Barker appeared on TV at the age of 18 months. Not content to simply cruise through life cashing in on his famous surname, Landon is carving out a place of his own in the worlds of fashion and music. In his shoes, many people would shy away from the limelight, and while he is soft-spoken like his father, Landon doesn’t hold back. He lives his life exactly how he wants, haters be damned.

To get some insight into Landon’s world, we turned to his girlfriend, TikTok queen Charli D’Amelio. Simply put, Landon and Charli are the Brad and Angelina of the TikTok generation. D’Amelio is someone who understands the unique pressures of fame, so for this interview, we gave her the microphone.

You’ve been in the limelight since you were a baby. How has that influenced the way you live your life?

I don’t think it influenced the way I lived my life at all because I don’t remember anything before, like, 5 years old. But um, yeah, I guess it did.

How weird is it to have your entire life documented? You are 19 and we have been dating for a bit, but there’s an article in People giving an entire timeline of our relationship. Do you ever feel like you haven’t gotten the chance to just be a kid?

Yes and no, but with our relationship being in the spotlight, I feel like we’re not forced to [make it public]. We just post each other for fun and post fun videos together having fun, and I guess people look into it a lot, but it doesn’t really affect our relationship because we know what we have when it’s just the two of us.

I love that. What was the first music you got into?

Punk music.

How heavy of an influence were all the musicians surrounding you?

Definitely a big influence. I definitely learned and picked up many traits from a lot of different people that I grew up on, going on tour with my dad and being inspired by a lot of people. They’ve all influenced my musical sound and my style.

Did you try to search out music that was completely different from what your father does?

I mean, when I started out with music I was rapping. My dad does make rap music, but it’s not his main thing.

Tell us a little bit about where you see your music going. I know there’s talk of an album or EP early this year…

I think we’re focusing on putting out singles first, but music’s going great and hopefully [we’ll have] an album or EP by next year.

Yay! How would you describe the project?

It’s still in the works. I’m not anywhere close to being done with it, to be honest.

How long did it take you to figure out your sound?

I still feel like I haven’t, and that’s why that question right before is so hard to answer. It’s because I’m still in that process. I’ve definitely gotten further in the past five years of making music, but I feel like I’m still figuring out my voice and my sound.

What are you most excited about with the project? Going on tour, releasing music, playing in clubs, seeing the reactions from people…

I think I’m most excited about tour. Playing [my] music. I’ve sold out two shows, but they were both with no music out. It’s gonna be a different feeling when I see everybody singing my music back to me. Every show that I’ve done, people just have to stand there and enjoy it as much as they can. But it’s different when you know a song. It’s like when your favorite song comes on at a party or a club or wherever you’re at.

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Fun. Do you think music will be your main focus going forward? What other avenues are you looking to explore creatively, or non-creative avenues, if that’s what you’re thinking?

Haha. Skip! Cause I feel like I answered a few questions on music already. Um…

He’s starting a cooking channel.

Hahaha.

Can you tell us about the fashion collab you did with…

Skip! I don’t wanna talk about that anymore. Let me just go to this one.

OK. How would you describe your fashion?

I’m definitely heavily inspired by my peers and people I grew up on. Rappers, rockstars, people like A$AP Rocky, just people who are into fashion. Overall I feel like I’ve looked at all of their styles trying to create my own. And your closet, Charli.

What gets you excited about fashion? What are some items you couldn’t live without?

Some items I can’t live without… a good pair of leather pants. A good pair of boots. Solid black hoodies. Solid black and solid white t-shirts and a leather jacket. I feel like those are my necessities.

Who provides you with all of your black hoodies?

You do.

Who has the best style in your family?

I’d like to think me.

I’m telling! On to tattoos: What was your first tattoo and when did you get it?

My first tattoo says “Blessed” and it’s right here on my shoulder and my dad got it on his face at the same time. I got it when I was 15.

That’s cute. Was your dad supportive of you getting your first tattoo? Did he try to steer you in any direction given how tattooed he is and the lessons he’s learned as a tattoo collector, or was it the typical parental disapproval most people experience when they get their first tattoo?

So for my first tattoo, my dad was extremely supportive. Then when I turned 18 and I started going off and getting a bunch, he was like, “Slow down.” And I was like, “I don’t want to hear it.”

From him.

Yeah.

Well, also I feel like sometimes you get tattoos and then the next day you’re like, “Well, I don’t know if I like it.”

[Taking on a high-pitched, cartoony voice] That’s why we don’t do drunk tattoos.

You can’t say that!

Sorry.

Have we gotten any tattoos together?

We haven’t gotten anything matching, but we’ve gotten tattoos on the same day.

You were there for a lot of my last ones.

DaySmart Body Art

Yeah. And I go a lot with you cause we do go to the same tattoo artist.

Normally you’re getting them and mine are, like, this big [holding up two fingers, almost pinching], so she does mine in between. What’s your favorite tattoo so far?

I have swords on my neck that are really cool. Then I also have… um, lemme think. I also have a nice praying hands piece on my chest and then I have the wings in the middle of my chest that I like a lot. And my little small little arrow thing on my neck.

What’s the most meaningful tattoo you have?

Probably the one for my family, because I have all their initials.

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Do you have plans for building your tattoo collection or a general aesthetic you’re looking for?

I definitely have plans to continue my tattoo journey. I really want my chest to be symmetrical. I really like that look so I’m trying to plan it out.

Do you remember when your dad was on the cover of Inked and is it exciting for you to be featured?

I do not remember it, but I have seen it. And, yeah, it’s really cool because now we’ll have my cover of Inked right next to my dad’s on the coffee table sitting in our living room.

That’s so cute. Is there anything you would like to share about your tattoos that I have not asked about?

Just stay tuned. When the body’s finished I’ll definitely do some cool photos and show everybody. Stay tuned to see the rest of my tattoos, bye-bye.

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