Trio begins practicing

Anne introduced her brother to DeLonge on August 2, 1992. The pair instantly connected and played for hours in DeLonge’s garage, exchanging lyrics and co-writing songs—one of which became fan favorite ” Carousel “. Hoppus, hoping to impress DeLonge, fell from a lamppost in front of DeLonge’s home and cracked his ankles, putting him on crutches for three weeks. The trio began to practice together in Raynor’s bedroom, spending time writing music, seeing movies and punk concerts, and playing practical jokes. The trio first operated under a variety of names, including Duck Tape and Figure 8, until DeLonge rechristened the band “Blink”. Hoppus’ girlfriend at the time was annoyed by his constant attention to the band, and demanded he make a choice between the band and her, which resulted in Hoppus leaving the band not long after its formation. Shortly thereafter, DeLonge and Raynor borrowed a four-track recorder from friend and collaborator Cam Jones and were preparing to record a demo tape , with Jones on bass. Hoppus promptly broke up with his girlfriend and returned to the band. Flyswatter —a combination of original songs and punk covers—was recorded in Raynor’s bedroom in May 1993.