Mark Hoppus: Blink-182 never considered calling it quits

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Blink-182 discuss upcoming album California and insist they gave no thought to pulling the plug when Tom DeLonge quit

Blink-182 with Matt Skiba
Blink-182 with Matt Skiba (Image credit: Getty)

Mark Hoppus says it never occurred to him and Travis Barker to call time on Blink-182 when Tom DeLonge quit last year.

The band brought in Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba as a replacement for DeLonge, and they release their seventh album California on July 1. It’s available for pre-order.

While losing founding member DeLonge could have spelled the end of the pop punk giants, the two left behind never thought about pulling the plug.

Hoppus tells Music Feeds: “Travis and I have kind of been through this situation before and he and I just love performing music and writing music together and we’re really good friends.

“It never really occurred to us to stop doing what we do because we enjoy it so much. We already had these shows booked once Tom had dropped off.

“So, when Matt came in to fill in for those shows it was such a natural fit and a natural progression for us. The shows are awesome, people love Matt and it was such a great experience with him it just seemed like the next step to have him come in and write an album with him.”

Blink released Bored To Death last month, taken from their first album with Skiba. And Hoppus says the record has plenty to offer fans old and new.

He adds: “There’s a song called Cynical that’s really fast, really punk rock. There’s a song called Rabbit Hole that I think sounds like it should’ve been on Enema Of The State that I think people will really love. Bored To Death is obviously a lot of fun to play.

“There’s a song called She’s Out Of Her Mind that sounds like it could’ve been on Take Off Your Pants And Jacket.

“I think people are going to be really happy when they hear the full album. I can’t wait to play the songs live.”

The band have a string of tour dates lined up for 2016.

  1. Cynical
  2. Bored To Death
  3. She’s out of Her Mind
  4. Los Angeles
  5. Sober
  6. Built This Pool
  7. No Future
  8. Home Is Such A Lonely Place
  9. Kings Of The Weekend
  10. Teenage Satellites
  11. Left Alone
  12. Explicit Rabbit Hole
  13. San Diego
  14. The Only Thing That Matters
  15. California
  16. Brohemian Rhapsody

Jul 22: San Diego Arena, CA (with All-American Rejects)
Jul 23: Las Vegas Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, NV (with All-American Rejects)
Jul 26: El Paso Don Haskins Center, TX (with All-American Rejects)
Jul 28: Oklahoma Chesapeake Energy Arena, OK (with All-American Rejects)
Jul 29: Dallas Gexa Energy Pavilion, TX (with All-American Rejects)
Jul 30: San Antonio AT&T Center, TX (with All-American Rejects)
Jul 31: Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, TX (with All-American Rejects)
Aug 02: Atlanta Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, GA (with All-American Rejects)
Aug 03: Greenville Bon Secours Arena, SC (with All-American Rejects)
Aug 05: West Palm Beach Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre, FL (with All-American Rejects)
Aug 06: Tampa Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, FL (with All-American Rejects)
Aug 08: Nashville Ascend Amphitheater, TN (with All-American Rejects)
Aug 09: Cleveland Blossom Music Center, OH (with All-American Rejects)
Aug 10: Cincinnati Riverbend Music Center, OH (with All-American Rejects)
Aug 12: Camden BB&T Pavilion, NJ (with A Day To Remember)
Aug 13: Wantagh Nikon at Jones Beach, NY (with A Day To Remember)
Aug 14: Holmdel PNC Bank Arts Center, NJ (with A Day To Remember)
Aug 16: Virginia Beach Veterans United Home Loans Amp, VA (with A Day To Remember)
Aug 19: Mansfield Xfinity Center, MA (with A Day To Remember)
Aug 21: Toronto Molson Canadian Amp, ON (with A Day To Remember)
Aug 23: Syracuse Lakeview Amp, NY (with A Day To Remember)
Aug 24: Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, NY (with A Day To Remember)
Aug 25: Scranton Pavilion at Montage Mountain, PA (with A Day To Remember)
Aug 27: Hershey Park Pavilion, PA (with A Day To Remember)
Aug 28: Pittsburgh First Niagara Pavilion, PA (with A Day To Remember)
Aug 30: Clarkston DTE Energy Music Theater, MI (with A Day To Remember)
Sep 02: Hartford Xfinity Theatre, CT (with A Day To Remember)
Sep 03: Bangor Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion, ME (with A Day To Remember)
Sep 04: Saratoga Performing Arts Center, NY (with A Day To Remember)
Sep 08: St Paul Xcel Energy Center, MN (with All-American Rejects)
Sep 09: Tinley Park Hollywood Casino Amp, IL (with All-American Rejects)
Sep 10: Noblesville Klipsch Music Center, IN (with All-American Rejects)
Sep 11: St Louis Hollywood Casino Amp, MO (with All-American Rejects)
Sep 13: Denver Pepsi Center, CO (with All-American Rejects)
Sep 15: Boise Taco Bell Arena, ID (with All-American Rejects)
Sep 16: Spokane Arena, WA (with All-American Rejects)
Sep 17: Seattle Key Arena, WA (with All-American Rejects)
Sep 18: Vancouver Abbotsford Centre, BC (with All-American Rejects)
Sep 20: Portland Sunlight Supply Amphitheater, OR (with All-American Rejects)
Sep 22: Salt Lake City USANA Amp, UT (with A Day To Remember)
Sep 24: Phoenix Ak-Chin Pavilion, AZ (with A Day To Remember)
Sep 25: Albuquerque Isleta Amp, NM (with A Day To Remember)
Sep 28: San Francisco Shoreline Amp, CA (with A Day To Remember)
Sep 29: Irvine Meadows Amp, CA (with A Day To Remember)
Oct 01: Los Angeles Forum, CA (with A Day To Remember)

Stef Lach

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.