Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba will join the band in tour

Tom DeLonge blink-182
Tom DeLonge [Matt Bishop Photo]

blink-182 vocalist/guitarist Tom DeLonge has left the band indefinitely to focus on other non-musical projects. While DeLonge has not completely quit the band, he has set no timetable for his return. The band released a statement today outlining the events that lead to DeLonge’s sudden departure:

“We were all set to play this festival and record a new album and Tom kept putting it off without reason. A week before we were scheduled to go in to the studio we got an email from his manager explaining that he didn’t want to participate in any Blink-182 projects indefinitely, but would rather work on his other non-musical endeavors. “No hard feelings, but the show must go on for our fans.”

– blink-182

Shorty after, Tom took to Instagram to further reinforce the fact that he had not completely quit the band:

“To All The Fans, I Never Quit The Band. I Actually Was On A Phone Call About A Blink 182 Event For New York City At The Time All These Weird Press Releases Started Coming In… Apparently Those Releases Were ‘Sanctioned’ From The Band. Are We Dysfunctional- Yes. But, Christ…..”

– Tom DeLonge 

Alkaline Trio‘s Matt Skiba is set to fill in for DeLonge so that Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker can fulfill their live performance commitments they already have scheduled. Blink-182 + Matt Skiba are set to headline the 8th Annual Musink Festival in California on March 22. 

Back in July, DeLonge took to Instagram to announce the Blink-182’s plans for a new album. In the caption of a throwback photo collage of all three band members, Delonge stated, “Rehearsals start today…And yes, there will be a new album.” The announcement came just days before bassist Mark Hoppus hosts the inaugural Alternative Press Music Awards at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, OH on July 21.

DeLonge’s other band Angels & Airwaves (which features Nine Inch Nails drummer Ilan Rubin) released their fifth studio album The Dream Walker back on December 9. The band’s last album was 2011’s Neighborhoods which debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 and was the band’s first studio album in 8 years.

Blink-182 are one of the post influential punk bands of all time. Their discography boasts four Top 10 Billboard Albums, with 2001’s Enema of The State debuting at #1 on the Billboard Top 200. To date, the band has sold over 35 million albums worldwide.