YEAR IN REVIEW: After disagreements, the band parts ways with Tom for the second time, enlisting Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba in his place. Legal battles remain over DeLonge's departure and ownership of the LLC.

 

1/5/2015: The date booked for Blink-182 to enter the studio, stalled by Tom, according to Mark and Travis.
1/26/2015: Blink-182's second (partial) breakup. A more detailed list of that day's events can be found here, but here's a run-down of the most important notes:

• The lineup for Musink 2015 is announced, including, suspiciously, "Blink-182 with Matt Skiba".

• Blink-182 releases a statement to Radio.com explaining Tom's desire to explore his "non-musical activities," that he "kept putting off" a new album, and announcing that Skiba was replace him for the Musink show. The post is originally titled "Tom DeLonge Quits Blink-182"

• Tom responds via Instagram that he "never quit the band," commenting, "Are we dysfunctional? Yes." He also claims he was booking Blink-182 shows at the time the press release was issued.

• Rolling Stone publishes an interview (the "tell-all") with Mark and Travis: "Blink-182's Hoppus, Barker Blast 'Ungrateful, Disingenuous' Tom DeLonge"

1/27/2015:

• Tom publishes, then deletes a tweet reading, "A year ago Mark and I spent a week on the phone with managers debating parting with Travis... Don't pretend there isn't more to this story." Image here.

• Tom posts his "Letter to the Fans" on Facebook. In terms of the band's history, perhaps the most important quote: "Are they at fault? Am I? Of course. I'm nuts. But there’s three of us – we’re all accountable. At the end of the day, we’ve always been dysfunctional, which is why we haven’t talked in months. But we never did. In the 8 years we have been together it has always been that way."

• Alternative Press publishes the second major interview with Mark on the split, in which he addresses Tom's tweet and remarks, "We’re very optimistic and excited about the possibilities of continuing with Matt in some way."

1/29/2015: Mark posts on Instagram that the band is rehearsing with Skiba.

1/30/2015: Travis goes on KROQ's Kevin and Bean, speaking on the band's future and split with Tom. 

2/1/2015: Tom posts two snippets of potential Blink music on Instagram with the hashtags "#SongsWithoutAHome" and "March 1st".

2/5/2015: Tom confirms new music via Instagram: "The date is March 1st - I have a lot of music I was working hard on.... Things happen, so I guess we have a change of plans... Either way, I think you guys should hear it. #SongsWithoutAHome #ToTheStars #TomDeLonge"

2/19/2015: Tom tweets, then deletes, that he "will be launching personal recordings of new Blink demos, along with a few extra tracks on TomDeLonge.me."

2/28/2015: Tom announces his new album, To the Stars: Demos, Odds, and Ends with a teaser clip containing snippets of multiple new songs.

3/3/2015: Travis does an interview with Alternative Nation on the band. Among other tidbits, he praises Skiba "playing the guitar instead of just Pro Tools," and claims, "I think we’re rehearsed about 30 or more songs." In addition, he implies Tom quit more than twice.

3/6/2015: Travis appears to leak the Musink setlist via Snapchat.

3/7/2015: Mark: "matt is still learning songs and there are a couple more cheshire cat songs getting added to the upcoming sets. also, we recorded and filmed the untitled shows, and hopefully you will be able to watch those in the future."

3/8/2015: Tom responds to some Instagram comments on the band's status.

3/9/2015: Tom releases his first song from To the Stars - and first "solo" song ever - "New World". He later uploads an "audio video" for the song.

3/10/2015:

• Blink-182 with Matt Skiba announce a warm-up show at SOMA in San Diego for 3/20/2015.

• Tom tweets: "I will never dislike @markhoppus - too many years as my closest friend. I want him to be happy-" In case it's taken down, image here.

3/11/2015:

• Tickets go on sale at 10am for SOMA show.

• Mark, Travis, and Matt post the very first publicity photo of Blink-182 with Matt Skiba.

• Travis talks to Yahoo: "It’s one thing to have someone there that is not only motivated and stoked to be playing, but [Matt] just sings on key; harmonies exist now." On Tom/reuniting: "If years down the line it makes sense, I’ll never say never."

3/16/2015: Blink announce another warmup show for 3/18 at the Roxy in LA.

3/17/2015: Mark has Skiba on the HMNIM podcast.

3/18/2015:

• Blink-182 with Matt Skiba performs at the Roxy in LA.

  • Other bands included A Day to Remember.

• It is the first Blink-182 concert without Tom DeLonge. Poster

3/20/2015: 

• Blink-182 with Matt Skiba performs at SOMA in San Diego. 

  • Other bands included A Day to Remember.

• Mark introduces Matt: "I'd like to introduce you to your new step-dad, Matt Skiba. He's gonna be staying with us for a while."

3/21/2015:

• Tom posts a long rambling message on Blink.

• Tom responds to dozens of comments on Blink on Instagram claiming Travis threatened to kill his wife, "reality shows" poisoned their relationship, and that Blink as a band is consumed by fame.

3/22/2015: Blink-182 with Matt Skiba performs at Musink 2015.

3/23/2015:

• Tom releases "The Invisible Parade" from To the Stars: Demos, Odds, and Ends.

• "There's talk of maybe recording an album, there are talks of doing a tour with A Day To Remember, so we'll see what happens," says Travis to Billboard.

3/25/2015: Mark auctions two of his basses, including a custom one from Musink, off for charity.

4/2/2015: A music video for "New World" is released.

4/6/2015: Tom releases "Circle Jerk Pit" from To the Stars: Demos, Odds, and Ends.

4/15/2015: Kerrang! publishes a print article on Skiba.

4/16/2015:

• Tom signs with APA.

• "There's a lot of things that have to happen before we can make any solid plans or any solid statement," Skiba says.

4/17/2015: Skiba to Billboard: "We are hopeful to do more stuff in the future."

4/20/2015: Tom releases To the Stars: Demos, Odds, and Ends.

4/21/2015: The music video for "Circle Jerk Pit" is officially released.

4/23/2015: "Being a blink-182 permanent member is a hope of mine," says Skiba to Alternative Nation.

5/19/2015: A joke tribute band, Snake Plisskin and the I Thought You Were Deads, plays at the Power Violence comedy night at The Satellite in Los Angeles. Members include Mark, and comedians Jonah Ray and Whitmer Thomas, performing covers of the Descendents, Vaselines, Ramones, and two Blink songs: Dammit and I Miss You.

5/22/2015: Mark appears on the Das Process podcast and goes surprising in-detail about the Blink stuff: it's a "friendly divorce," Tom WAS his friend, etc.

7/13/2015: 

• At a PAWS show, Mark briefly plays "Family Reunion".

• Tom says it would take "four phone calls" to get Blink working together again.

7/21/2015: Billboard reports Blink will return to the studio in August with Skiba.

8/17/2015: Mark posts to a private Blink collectors' group on Facebook, noting that they will soon enter the studio.

8/20/2015: Mark joins Tom Morello, Mumford & Songs, and T-Bone Burnett at a LA show; they play "What's My Age Again?"

8/21/2015: Travis speaks to Las Vegas Weekly.

9/2/2015:

• The band -- Mark and Travis -- enter the studio. Many, many studio updates are posted via Twitter and mostly Instagram for the next several months.

• Tom says he is "willing and interested" in returning to the band to Billboard; he says he wants it to be "a part of [his] life" to NME.

9/24/2015: Tom reveals why he "really left" the band in a Radio.com interview.

10/5/2015: Mark, to an Alternative Press reporter, describes the new music with Skiba.

10/20/2015:

• Travis's memoir, Can I Say, is released.

• Blink have recorded five songs with Skiba, including one titled "Punk Rock Cliche"

10/21/2015: Travis says the band will tour in 2016

10/28/2015: Mark chats to the private Facebook group about Skiba, the Blinkumentary, and more.

11/18/2015: Travis speaks with Rhythm Magazine about Blink and Skiba.Blinkumentary, and more.

11/18/2015: Travis speaks with Rhythm Magazine about Blink and Skiba.