If you’ve been hoping for a Blink-182 reunion in the near future, you might be waiting a while, with Mark Hoppus setting us straight in regards to those rumours that recently arose.
Back in 2015, the world of music was shocked to learn that 23 years since he co-founded the band, Tom DeLonge had left Blink-182.
While punk fans were undoubtedly stunned, their sadness was somewhat alleviated by the news that Alkaline Trio’s Matt Skiba was stepping in to replace the void left by DeLonge.
Since then, things have been going quite well for Blink-182, receiving critical acclaim for their 2016 album, California, and achieving some of their highest chart positions in years.
However, fans still wondered when and if Tom DeLonge might return to his old band.
In late 2015, DeLonge claimed he was “totally willing and interested” in reuniting with his former bandmates, before claiming in 2017 that he still “owns the band” – in regards to the group’s name, trademark, and recordings – and that he would rejoin at a later date.
In fact, DeLonge reiterated this fact just a matter of weeks ago, before revealing he had been in talks with his old bandmates about rejoining the group.
“I will play with Blink again. That’s the whole plan,” the guitarist explained. “I talk to Travis all the time, and I talked to Mark just the other day and we’re always discussing what makes sense and when.”
However, in a new interview with Mark Hoppus, it was revealed that not only is Blink-182’s new album set to be pushed back, but we’re not witnessing the revival of the Mark, Tom, and Travis show any time soon.
Check out ‘Man Overboard’ by Blink-182:
Appearing on Los Angeles radio station KROQ-FM recently, Mark Hoppus was asked about the potential of Tom DeLonge rejoining the band he co-founded, only to have the notion quickly rebuffed.
“There is not any talk of that right now,” Hoppus explained. “I mean I’ll never say never to anything, but that is a completely unfounded rumour at this point.”
Okay, bad news, right? But we can still take solace in knowing that the new Blink-182 album will be here before the Warped Tour kicks off this month, yes?
Well, sadly, no. See, a few days ago, Mark Hoppus ignited speculation after responding “no sir” when asked if album eight was still on track to be released in June.
Speaking to KROQ, Hoppus revealed the record is still on track to be released soon, but noted that “There is not an exact date.”
“It is coming out this summer,” Hoppus assured us. “I was just on the phone earlier today with Ron Perry, who’s the head of our label, and we are figuring out the exact launch date.”
“But we are finalising mixes right now, we have about half the album mastered, and the announce on when the album will be released will be forthcoming.”
Check out Mark Hoppus’ interview:
While we’re not quite sure when we’ll receive the new Blink-182 album, the group recently released their new single, ‘Blame It On My Youth’, which is set to arrive on the “darker” and “more aggressive” record from the group.
“It’s very different to California,” Mark Hoppus explained of their upcoming album. “It’s a lot more aggressive. It’s darker in theme and tone.”
“If you like California to Enema Of The State then this album is more like the Untitled record where we are trying to experiment more: trying to experiment more, trying different sounds, and trying to expand upon what people think Blink-182 is.”
Whatever the case, we’ll have to hold tight if we want to hear new music from the great Blink-182.
Check out ‘Blame It On My Youth’ by Blink-182:
