There are a lot of old-school blink-182 fans who just can't get over the fact that Tom DeLonge is no longer in the band, but if you ask the members, the personnel change couldn't have been a better move.
“Matt’s awesome,” drummer Travis Barker gushed during a recent interview with Kerrang. “Even for the California album, he got in and he really figured it out and he played his part, even at times when we were getting ready for a tour. He’s like a low-key superhero. I always know he’s going to come through. We’re a strong unit. We were before, too, with Tom – I’m never going to say anything negative about Tom – but it’s like a relationship: there’s your ups and downs with one person. Matt, Mark and I get along really, really, really well. We never really have any hiccups.”
For Skiba, he admitted to feeling an "identity crisis" when he first joined the band after DeLonge's departure, but has since found his place in the iconic trio. “Crisis is a strong word, but I feel I now know my place in blink better than I did years ago,” he divulged. “We all know each other a lot better. We’re always learning, and if you’re doing life correctly you’re learning something every day. In a band it’s no different, you’re learning about each other and you’re learning about music, and it’s a lot of growing up. It’s only tightened and cemented our friendships and our love for this band collectively.”
Blink-182 is part of iHeartRadio's annual ALTer EGO lineup, where they'll be sharing the stage with the likes of Billie Eilish, The Black Keys, The Lumineers, Rex Orange County, and SHAED. The show goes down January 18, 2020 at The Forum in Los Angeles. Find out how you can snag tickets here.