Tom DeLonge Shares Letter to Matt Skiba After Rejoining Blink-182: ‘Thank You for Being a Member of Our Band’

Blink-182‘s Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and Tom DeLonge announced their plans earlier this week to reunite for a brand-new album and a world tour, leaving fans to wonder the fate of Matt Skiba.

The Alkaline Trio frontman filled in for DeLonge and became an official member of the band in 2015, recording the 2016 album California with the group. While its unclear what Skiba’s plans post-Blink are, DeLonge personally reached out to him to express his gratitude for filling in during his absence.

DeLonge shared a personal note he wrote to Skiba via Instagram on Thursday (Oct. 13), captioning a screenshot of his message, “I sent this to Matt personally, but it’s important for the world to know that I honor him. Thank you, @matttskiba.”

The note reads: “Hi Matt, Tom DeLonge here. I wanted to take take a minute and say thank you for all that you have done to keep the band alive and thriving in my absence. I think you are enormously talented (I still love to listen to your band to this day). You have always been so kind to me, not only in the press, but also to others. I really noticed. Emotions between the three of us in Blink have always been complicated, but Mark’s cancer really put things in perspective. But to be honest, the band would not even be here today if it were not for your ability to jump in and save the day. So from my heart to yours, thank you for being a member of our band.”

Blink-182’s new era is kicking off with a bang — in addition to an international tour, which will see the trio heading to North and South America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand — the members plan to release a new, yet-untitled album. The forthcoming album’s lead single, “Edging,” will be released Friday.

See DeLonge’s Instagram post below.