In the wake of a complicated public split from a famous pop-punk group, many musicians might make their first step into book publishing a tell-all autobiography. Not for former Blink-182 member Tom DeLonge, whose book about UFOs will be out on 7 March.
DeLonge co-wrote the non-fiction book, Sekret Machines: Gods, with the occult expert Peter Levenda. It is based on interviews with intelligence officers, scientists, engineers and military officials. According to a press release, it will be “an eye-opening investigative journey to the heart of the UFO phenomenon”, as well as transcending “the speculation of journalists, historians and others whose conclusions are often either misinformed or only tease around the edges”.
“Sekret Machines: Gods is the opening salvo on the complacency of human institutions where the UFO Phenomenon is concerned,” says Levenda. “It’s designed to shake people up, to make them question their assumptions.”
DeLonge said Levenda’s expertise aided the project: “It was his ability to frame an esoteric thesis that gave me the ammunition to speak clearly on the subject matter, and that got me in the door.”
According to Rolling Stone, DeLonge has been interviewing aerospace industry officials, the US Department of Defense and Nasa. “It’s very hard to think, ‘How did this guy in a band get access like that?’” he said. “It sounds crazy. But it’s because I can speak to a very specific audience. I earned their trust. I knew my material.”
The Blink-182 founding member announced his departure from the group and confirmed details of his publishing project. At the time of the split, the guitarist defended his decision to not record new music with Blink-182, saying that the “Blink stuff went haywire” because a new contract with the band conflicted with his plans to record a soundtrack to accompany fiction he was planning to publish. DeLonge disputed the account of the split given by band’s manager.
Sekret Machines is DeLonge’s first non-fiction book. He has co-authored a number of novels, one of which – Sekret Machines: Chasing Shadows – covered similar alien-based themes as his forthcoming book. DeLonge is also reportedly to direct a sci-fi film titled Strange Things, about a group of San Diego skateboarders who investigate UFO phenomenon.