Tom DeLonge is finally back in Blink-182, and he, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker are working on new music together for the first time in over 10 years. Prior to the reunion news, DeLonge spoke with ABC Audio about what he thought Blink could be.

During the 2021 interview, DeLonge reflected on his and Hoppus’ mutual love of ’80s alternative bands, including The Cure and Depeche Mode, which can be heard on their respective side groups, Angels & Airwaves and Simple Creatures.

He also recalled the 2003 Blink track “All of This” featuring The Cure‘s Robert Smith.

“It’s probably, if not the best, one of the best songs we ever wrote,” DeLonge laughed. “It was really mature and different, and was a big deal for us.”

Still, DeLonge noted that “All of This” “didn’t sound like The Cure, necessarily.”

“We never really visited our love of some of that stuff as much as we wanted to,” he said.

“I don’t think it was because we couldn’t do that or didn’t want to,” DeLonge continued. “I just don’t think that we were working back then as personalities well enough to do those types of artistic leaps, but we absolutely could have.”

After a decade, though, DeLonge mused that those personality clashes wouldn’t be so much of an issue.

“We’re older and we’re a little bit more self-aware, it wouldn’t be the same,” he said. “But I did always feel back then that we had the potential to do anything. Like, that band, the three of us, really could do anything.”

He added, “Musically, I think that the sky was the limit for Blink.” 

Fast-forward to this week’s reunion announcement, and DeLonge tweeted that Blink’s upcoming album is the “best album of our career.” The first single, “Edging,” arrives Friday.

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