Photo of Tom DeLonge by Cara Freidman
_

Blink-182 vocalist/guitarist Tom DeLonge has taken an unexpected break from the band, according to a report from CBS Radio.

Following news on Monday that Matt Skiba of the Alkaline Trio will fill in for DeLonge at the upcoming Musink Music and Tattoo Festival, the band shared a statement explaining they plan to keep their prior commitments because "the show must go on for fans."

“We were all set to play this festival and record a new album and Tom kept putting it off without reason," the band said. "A week before we were scheduled to go in to the studio we got an email from his manager explaining that he didn’t want to participate in any Blink-182 projects indefinitely, but would rather work on his other non-musical endeavors. No hard feelings, but the show must go on for our fans.”

As we previously reported, DeLonge said in October he hoped to have a new Blink album out by this summer. That plan has likely changed as the band's longterm future remains in question.

At press time, the band has not confirmed a permanent departure by DeLonge, but it's not the first time he has left. He left the group in 2005 and the band went on "hiatus" through 2008.

DeLonge has subsequently taken to Instagram claiming he "never quit the band," but bandmates Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker have revealed in a new interview late Monday that they felt DeLonge had put them in a difficult situation, claiming he's been absent-minded for years and has not spoken with the band outside of email for several months.

Barker suggested Monday to Rolling Stone that it's likely the band only reunited back in 2008 out of emotion: "After my plane crash, we only got back together, I don't know, maybe because I almost died. But he didn't even listen to mixes or masterings from that record. He didn't even care about it. Why Blink even got back together in the first place is questionable."

(Updated)