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Matt Skiba | |
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 Skiba performing at Warped Tour in 2010 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | Matthew Thomas Skiba (1976-02-24)February 24, 1976 (age 49) |
| Origin | McHenry, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1992–present |
| Member of |
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| Formerly of | |
Matthew Thomas Skiba (born February 24, 1976) is an American musician and songwriter best known as theco-lead vocalist and guitarist of thepunk rock bandAlkaline Trio, and served as the co-lead vocalist and guitarist ofBlink-182 from 2015 to 2022.[1] Skiba's lyrical content commonly involves dark romantic themes.
Alkaline Trio formed in 1996 with Skiba as the frontman. Since then, the band has released ten full-length albums over two decades. Skiba also recorded albums with side projects includingHeavens and theHELL, as well as two full-length solo albums with his backing band, the Sekrets.
FollowingTom DeLonge's second departure fromBlink-182 in early 2015, Skiba was brought on to fill in for three shows and was later made a full-time member. He recorded two albums with the band,California (2016) andNine (2019), before DeLonge returned in 2022.
Matthew Thomas Skiba was born on February 24, 1976, inChicago,Illinois,[2] and grew up inMcHenry, Illinois. He began playing piano and drums at an early age. His first concert wasPublic Image Ltd.[3] After high school, Skiba was interested in graphic design but dropped out of art school after one year.[4] In 1996, while working as abike messenger delivering beepers, he decided to switch from drums to guitar. Prior to that he played in bands including Blunt, Jerkwater, and the Traitors.
Skiba has two sisters, Lynsay and Courtney, and is of Ukrainian descent. His mother, Joan Skiba, served as an emergency room nurse for theUnited States Army Nurse Corps during theVietnam War, and later became an elementary school teacher after spending two decades in emergency medicine. His father, Thomas Skiba (1942–2022), also served in Vietnam for theUnited States Army Dental Corps. He later opened private practices as an oral surgeon in the Chicago area and became a professor of dentistry at theUniversity of Illinois - Chicago.[5][3][6][7]
Skiba studied design at Chicago'sColumbia College but left in 1996 to formAlkaline Trio with drummer Glenn Porter and bassist Rob Doran.
After the group recorded their demo and the single "Sundials", they recorded theFor Your Lungs Only EP, during which Doran left the group.Dan Andriano joined and played bass on the EP. The band released their debut full-lengthGoddamnit on Asian Man Records in 1998, followed byMaybe I'll Catch Fire and the compilationAlkaline Trio in 2000.
The group's lineup changed again in 2000 when Porter left and formerSmoking Popes drummer Mike Felumlee joined.From Here to Infirmary, released byVagrant Records in the spring of 2001. In 2002Jade Tree Records released aHot Water Music/Alkaline Trio split EP which was well received. Both bands contributed original tracks and covers of each other's songs.Good Mourning followed in 2003, marking the band's first album with drummerDerek Grant, formerly ofSuicide Machines and Thoughts of Ionesco. While recordingGood Mourning, Skiba suffered from vocal problems due to acid reflux, lack of vocal warmups, and earlier use of alcohol and drugs.
Following a tour and throat surgery, the band recorded and releasedCrimson in 2005 and the compilationRemains in 2007.Agony & Irony, their first and only record onEpic Records, was released in July 2008. In January 2010 they releasedThis Addiction on their own Heart & Skull label in partnership withEpitaph Records. In July 2011, they released a semi-acoustic LP calledDamnesia to commemorate 15 years as a band. Their eighth album,My Shame Is True was released on April 21, 2013.
In 2014, the band underwent an anthology tour known as the "Past Live Tour", in which they performed their first eight studio albums in their entirety across four dates. Following a five-year hiatus from the studio and a second throat surgery for Skiba,[8][9] the band released their ninth album,Is This Thing Cursed?, on August 31, 2018. The band released anEP titledE.P. on March 19, 2020. The band's tenth studio album,Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs, came out on January 26, 2024.
Following the departure ofTom DeLonge fromBlink-182 in 2015,Mark Hoppus announced that Skiba would "fill in" for the band and performed two club shows and a slot at the Musink festival in March 2015. Later that year, the band confirmed that Skiba was now an official member and would be appearing on their upcoming album. The resulting albumCalifornia, was released on July 1, 2016. Skiba reappeared on the band's eighth studio albumNine, which was released on September 20, 2019. However, he did not appear on the band's 2020 single "Quarantine", due to lack of a proper home recording studio.
In July 2022, Skiba stated in anInstagram comment reply that his status with Blink-182 was uncertain while also saying that he was grateful for his time in the group.[10] In October 2022, Blink-182 announced that DeLonge had officially returned to the band. Skiba was absent in promotional material, effectively confirming his departure.[11] DeLonge messaged Skiba on Instagram to thank him for his time with the band, and later shared the post publicly on his account.[12] Skiba himself reposted some of the promotional material of the new single on his Instagram account, congratulated the band for the reunion of their classic line up and stated his gratitude for his time in the band.[13] On February 13, 2025, Skiba joined his former band on stage to perform "Bored to Death" alongside Tom DeLonge during a benefit show in theLos Angeles'Hollywood Palladium to helpLos Angeles wildfire relief efforts withAlkaline Trio as supporting act.[14][15] Skiba would later join the band on stage occasionally during theMissionary Impossible tour.[16]
In 2001, he began his first full solo tour with The Plea for Peace Tour, consisting mostly of acoustic versions ofAlkaline Trio songs with backing drums and bass in a few shows.
His first solo release came in 2002 in the form of a split withKevin Seconds of7 Seconds fame. The songs were mostly acoustic with drums, bass, and piano played by Skiba. Alkaline Trio still occasionally performs the song "Good Fucking Bye".
In 2005, Skiba contributed the song "Demons Away" to theFat Wreck Chords' compilationProtect: A Benefit for the National Association to Protect Children.
In 2006, Skiba launched the bandHeavens withF-Minus bassistJosiah Steinbrick. The group releasedPatent Pending on September 12, 2006.[17]
Also in 2006, Skiba contributed to the track "Rock 'n' Roll High School" featured onBrats on the Beat: Ramones for Kids, a tribute album released onGo-Kart Records.
In May 2007, Skiba performed five shows withChuck Ragan of Hot Water Music.
In late December 2008, Steinbrick announced on Heavens' MySpace page, "This is no longer a Heavens page. Sorry, that's just the way it's going down. Matt will still be doing Trio stuff and last I heard he might be working on a wonderful solo record. I'm not really positive actually but I'm sure it will be great."[citation needed] A falling-out between Skiba and Steinbrick led to the breakup.
On August 18, 2009, at Debonair Social Club in Chicago, Skiba, Grant and Greg Corner and Jonny Radtke ofKill Hannah debuted thesupergroup cover band Them Crooked Vulvas (and occasionally played under the name A Perfect Circus).
On August 10, 2010, he released a solo album titledDemos onAsian Man Records. The album is said to be a precursor to a future Alkaline Trio album .[18][19]
In January 2012, Skiba released an EP along with formerAngels and Airwaves andThe Offspring drummerAtom Willard under the moniker The Hell. The Hell's debut EP is entitledSauve Les Requins.
Skiba's second full-length solo album,Babylon, was released on May 8, 2012. The album features Skiba leading a band called Matt Skiba and the Sekrets; the backing band includesAFI bassistHunter Burgan, and former touring drummer forMy Chemical RomanceJarrod Alexander.[20] "Voices" impacted radio on May 1, 2012.[21]
In early 2013, Matt Skiba encouraged Mike Park ofAsian Man Records to releaseThe Smith Street Band's first two albums in America. Skiba had met the band's guitarist Lee Hartney and fallen in love with his personality and tones. Blink 182 and The Smith Street Band played together in 2017 atHurricane Festival in Germany.[22]
Skiba confirms his current work on a solo record, a screenplay, and a children's punk record featuring Mark Hoppus.[22]
In March 2015, Skiba and the Sekrets' second album,Kutz, was announced for a release date of June 1.
In May 2023, Skiba released new music with a band called Lektron, returning to Asian Man Records.[23]
Although he started out as an avid player ofGibson Les Pauls, Skiba currently playsFender Jaguar HH's. He has also playedGibson Les Paul Juniors,Gibson SGs,Fender Stratocasters andFender Jazzmasters in the past.
He has had two signature instruments made:
Skiba used a Kemper profiling amp while in the studio with blink-182 andJohn Feldmann.
Along with his own amps, the profiled sounds that were used include:
Skiba is a vegan and practicesTranscendental Meditation according to an interview withAOL Interface. He said that the clear and calm state of mind it provides has greatly helped his creative process, though initially he believed the "tortured soul" mindset was more beneficial. The bookCatching the Big Fish byDavid Lynch caused him to change his mind and he now believes a calm state is more artistically helpful.[29][30][31] Matt purchased a membership in theChurch of Satan organization back in the early days of Alkaline Trio, saying, "to meAnton LaVey was...very punk rock".[32]
Skiba moved to theSan Francisco Bay Area in 2001, though he currently lives in Los Angeles.[3][33] He has "Love Song" tattooed on hisknuckles. He is a "bigCure fan," a "hugeDamned fan," "an enormousDavid Lynch fan", a "bigGreen Day fan" and a "really bigNirvana fan." Skiba is divorced.[34] He is a close friend ofNOFX frontmanFat Mike, and served as the best man at his wedding.[35]
Solo[edit]
WithAlkaline Trio[edit]Main article:Alkaline Trio discography
With Blink-182[edit]
With Heavens[edit]
| With the Sekrets[edit]
With theHELL[edit]
Guest appearances[edit]
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
