Tom DeLonge claims he quit Blink-182 to investigate UFOs.

Tom DeLonge

Tom DeLonge

The pop/punk band's former frontman has opened up about the real reason he decided to leave the group in January 2015, and says that he felt it was more "important" to help with the threat of unidentified flying objects, which are a "national security issue" than make music.

In an interview with science website Mic.com, he explained: "Dealing with something that's a national security issue, and you're being gifted with the opportunity to communicate something you've been passionate about your whole life - something that has the opportunity to change the world over time - being a small part of that is enormously important for my path.

"But I can't do everything. I can't tour nine months out of the year with enough time to do the enormity of what I'm setting out to do."

As far as bassist Mark Hoppus and drummer Travis Barker were concerned, the 40-year-old rocker left after they received an email from the singer's manager saying he had "no interest in recording and he wants to do his other, non-musical stuff and is out indefinitely".

The message came after they all planned to go into the studio to make a new record in January 2015 and Tom refuted their version of events by stating he was handed a "60-page contract", which informed him the LP had to be finished in six months and that he would be prohibited from releasing music from other endeavours.

Meanwhile, Mark recently avoided giving an answer when asked if he has ruled out having Tom back in the band.

He told BANG Showbiz: "I can't give an answer because I haven't even thought about it."

The 'Bored To Death' hitmakers , who now have Alkaline Trio's Matt Skiba on guitar, are gearing up to release their seventh studio LP 'California' and Mark says it's a return to their roots.

He said: "I feel like this album is a return to what Blink-182 is all about. I think that it is energetic, I think it's angsty, I think it's fun, I think that it is something you will put on before you go out and conquer the weekend."