Tom DeLonge says he’s closer than he’s ever been to Travis Barker and that he does still have a future with Blink-182.
DeLonge left the band last year and has been replaced by Alkaline Trio mainman Matt Skiba. The new-look Blink-182 will release their first album with Skiba, called California, on July 1.
In a lengthy statement on his Facebook page, DeLonge says he still speaks to Barker and Mark Hoppus and accepts that they’ll work without him for the foreseeable future.
DeLonge says: “I met with Mark yesterday, and Travis the week before. I actually talk to Travis almost every day now. In an odd way I’m almost closer to him more now than ever.
“We do have a future together if we want it, but for now we are busy doing separate things. I am directing a movie this summer, releasing a couple more albums of music and digging deeper into my Sekret Machines Project with the US Department of Defense.
“Now we are at different places in our minds, careers and goals, I get it. But that said, I obviously want them to make the music they wish. I have always been thankful for them in my life, but I am a forward thinking artist, and sometimes that leads me down a different and far-reaching path.
“That is why I have done progressive projects like Box Car Racer, Angels and Airwaves, Love feature film and its albums, and even the Dream Walker album.
“I look forward to my upcoming film and music adventures, and a hell of a lot more. Maybe throw in a bit of Blink-182, if we can build back that special something that was once there.”
DeLonge adds that Blink-182’s decision to work with producer and songwriter John Feldmann on California was part of the reason he left. He says: “I think partnering with a song-writer on the Blink album was too far a change, but something they desired, and that in itself may be an indicator of some of our current artistic differences that are difficult to overcome.”
He also explains that his song New World is an indicator of the direction he hoped to take Blink-182 in before he left.
