DeLonge Feels He's 'Completely Repaired' Friendship With Hoppus

As many Blink-182 fans are aware, the lines of communication are once again open between estranged singer-guitarist Tom DeLonge and the band's singer-bassist Mark Hoppus, with DeLonge often offering updates of late concerning Hoppus' cancer battle. DeLonge recently elaborated on his current relationship with Hoppus during an appearance on Zane Lowe's show on Apple Music 1, explaining that he's "completely repaired that friendship."

The relationship between the Blink-182 members was strained publicly in 2015 when DeLonge was replaced in the band by Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba after DeLonge was committed to work with his To The Stars Academy and Blink's other members were intent in moving forward with touring and recording.

Though DeLonge has not returned to the group since, there have been some exchanges over social media between the musician and Blink cohorts Travis Barker and Mark Hoppus over the years. And the DeLonge-Hoppus relationship has been even more in the public spotlight of late with DeLonge's updates on Hoppus' cancer battle.

Speaking about his relationship with Hoppus as it stands now, DeLonge told Zane Lowe, "The way the universe works is strange because I reached out to Mark because I needed him to sign this piece of paper that had to do with my divorce. Only because of that call did I learn he had cancer. And he told me on the phone. I was like, 'Wait, what?'"

DeLonge says, "We weren't really talking much at all, maybe once every couple of months, a little text here and there. But now, we talk multiple times a day. So it's like we've been able to completely repair that friendship and really cut to the depth of who we are as people and what this is all about."

The guitarist adds, "He's had a really difficult time, but he's doing really good right now, in the sense of where the cancer is gone, as far as we know, and the chemo worked really well. So now he's healing up. I don't think he's jumping for joy, but he's emotionally supercharged from where he was."

Reflecting on the past relationship strain, he added, "It's interesting how stupid and how much ego is involved with boys. We're just boys and bands. Women are so much better at this stuff than we are. I always tell my wife, I was like, 'Boys are weird because unless it's a big deal, we're either going to fist fight or we're just going to brush it under the rug. There's no gray area.'"

Tom DeLonge Joins Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1

Meanwhile, DeLonge has returned to music with his Angels & Airwaves band. The group is ramping up to the release of their LIFEFORMS album this Friday (Sept. 24) and just dropped one final preview song from the album called "Timebomb." Get a listen to the electro-leaning cut below. The album is available to order here.