Angels & Airwaves Biography

Angels & Airwaves (stylized as ?V?) is an American rock band formed in 2005 by Tom DeLonge, who is also known for his work with Blink-182. The founding lineup included fellow musicians David Kennedy, Matt Rubano, Ilan Rubin, and Adam Willard. After spending nearly a year experimenting with a new sound in his home studio, DeLonge assembled the group and set a distinct musical direction, leading to the band's debut album, We Don't Need to Whisper, which was released in 2006 to critical acclaim.

We Don't Need to Whisper quickly ascended to the top of the charts, achieving gold status and featuring successful singles such as “Do It For Me Now,” “The War,” and “It Hurts.” By 2007, the band began working on their second album, I-Empire, which was followed by Love (2010) and Love: Part Two (2011). These albums produced additional hit singles, including “Everything’s Magic,” “Secret Crowds,” “Breathe,” and “Hallucinations.” During this period, Angels & Airwaves toured extensively and participated in several notable festivals, such as the Warped Tour, Soundwave Festival in Australia, and Reading & Leeds Festivals.

Angels & Airwaves is distinctive in its artistic approach, which transcends traditional band definitions to encompass broader artistic expressions across multiple mediums. The group has produced various projects, including the documentary film Start the Machine and the feature film Love, a critically acclaimed science fiction drama released in 2011. The band describes itself as more than just a music entity, viewing its work as a multimedia project that explores larger human themes.

Throughout their career, Angels & Airwaves received MTV Video Music Award nominations, including categories for Best New Artist in a Video and Best Special Effects in a Video, among others. In addition to their musical endeavors, they have been involved in expansive artistic projects, such as the animated short film Poet Anderson: The Dream Walker, which was accompanied by an album and a comic book, as well as a live-action film released in 2015.

To date, Angels & Airwaves has released six studio albums: We Don't Need to Whisper (2006), I-Empire (2007), Love (2010), Love: Part Two (2011), The Dream Walker (2014), and Lifeforms (2021). The band has continued to create and innovate even after Blink-182 reunited in 2009 and DeLonge eventually parted ways with the band in 2015 to focus on Angels & Airwaves.

Musically, the band's style has been influenced by the sounds of Radiohead and Pink Floyd, combined with anthemic aspects reminiscent of U2. This blend of influences contributes to the unique sound and thematic depth that Angels & Airwaves aims to achieve through its music and artistic endeavors.