It’s been a worrying time for Blink-182 – weeks of conflicting ideas from the band members and Tom’s apparent split from the band have led to the fans being in an awkward situation about who to believe. Blink-182’s drummer Travis Barker has now opened up to Alternative Nation with his opinions of what’s happened. Travis has said, “as far as I’m concerned, no bad blood from me. I wish him the best in everything he does, I think the right thing for him to do would just [be to] man up and quit the band instead of telling people he didn’t quit and just be real with the fans“.
He went on to say, “I think that would give him some closure too and really do what he’s passionate about. Even amongst all the other projects I do, I can always find a way to prioritize and still be passionate about blink-182 when it comes around. I love playing, listening, and everything about punk rock. It changed my life. I think for Tom, he doesn’t like punk music and it was a phase for him”.
In the same interview, Travis also mentioned how the rehearsals are going with the band’s current touring vocalist, Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba. “We are two weeks into practice and he’s killing it. There’s harmonies that have never been sung. He’s actually playing the guitar instead of just Pro Tools. It’s just fresh blood and having someone that’s motivated and stoked to be there makes a world of difference. In general, Skiba has a really charming voice and it couldn’t be a better fit”.
Travis also spoke about the potential of a new Blink-182 album with Matt Skiba as the band’s vocalist saying, “if we did make an album with Skiba, it would be unreal. I don’t know if that’s a possibility yet because I can’t speak for everybody. Right now it feels like the honeymoon stage. Everyone’s really happy and there’s a vibe in the rehearsal room that we haven’t had in a long time”.
Whilst the remaining Blink-182 members are enjoying how everything is coming along, Tom DeLonge has recently released details of his new album, To The Stars. It’s expected to include new Blink-182 demos and other ‘odds and ends’. The record is now available for pre-order and will be released on April 20.
#Peace.Love.Blink182
