Jakob Nowell on Carrying Sublime Forward
Having reformed in 2023 with Jakob Nowell, the son of original vocalist Bradley Nowell, Sublime have been touring the globe and working on a new album. Ahead of their Australian visit, The Note spoke with Jakob about Sublime’s legacy, his father and the band’s upcoming tour down under.
Words Will Oakeshott // Image Josh Kim
California’s legendary ska punk band Sublime found their world turned upside down on the morning of May 25, 1996, when vocalist/guitarist Bradley Nowell was discovered by drummer Bud Gaugh after having passed away from a heroin overdose in San Francisco’s Ocean View Motel. The trio were in the midst of touring their home state and set to head to Europe, but this tragedy brought everything to a halt and devastatingly occurred only two months before the release of their immensely successful self-titled album.
Over 27 years later, bassist Eric Wilson and Gaugh reunited to perform with Jakob Nowell, Bradley’s son, as Sublime for a benefit show attributed to Bad Brains vocalist H.R. in December 2023. A prestigious Coachella appearance then followed, as well as extensive touring and even new music. Having been announced as one of the headliners for Bluesfest 2026, The Note caught up with Jakob for more insight on Sublime, his father and so much more.
“Fond memories of my father, who even from a distance, was always present.” - Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá, Two Brothers (2015).
This literary extract from the critically acclaimed graphic novel Two Brothers, released in 2015, would more than likely resonate rather harmoniously for singer/songwriter/guitarist Jakob Nowell. Whether the musician is aware of the wondrous work of fiction is unknown, but the heartfelt quote certainly rings true in regards to Jakob’s father, Sublime guitarist and vocalist Bradley Nowell, who passed nearly three decades ago. As Jake steps into his father’s role, he is finding pathways of reconnection with his late dad through his spellbinding musicianship, an adventure that has been serendipitous and blissful.
“‘Adventure’ is the right word,” Jakob divulges with a heartfelt smile from his home in Southern California. “There were ups and downs. There were challenges to learning the material. Just in general, it was a very emotionally trying experience and challenging for my skills as a musician and entertainer. But I wouldn't trade it for the world because it's been the experience that's helped me grow the most as a performer, songwriter, singer, whatever. I think that at times it was very emotionally impactful to hear my father and contemplate what he was going through when he wrote a lot of these things.”
He pauses for a moment, as if reflecting on the discoveries he has made about Bradley Nowell, then understanding them and his artistry in a new light, and continues. “But there was also a lot of happy moments, and seeing the essence of the friendships and the experiences of all the people he was involved with. So those words become emblematic. Look at all the love we found! The proofs in the pudding for what we've done this year and for what's coming next year.”
Did he find a new level of closeness with his dad when reading some of his work and learning Sublime’s discography?
“Oh, totally, man. Yeah, I think that was the most unexpected and beautiful part of it, too. I definitely got to feel more connected and get a better sense of who he was as a person. I think that's a very relatable human experience that we all have, whether our parents are still around or no longer with us, or just not in our lives. Everybody's always sort of subconsciously, like, weighing our experience against those who came before us. I found it to be an intense process but one that I'm entirely grateful for.”
At the time of our conversation, Jake was holed up in his bedroom nursing a broken leg (“At the last Sublime concert, I ran into the ocean at the end of the show and took a bad step,” he timidly admits, with a small chuckle), but he had his faithful cat Fluffy by his side taking care of him. Although injured, Mr. Nowell has an aura of accomplishment and contentment about him. This is understandable, as he previously mentioned, this past year has been immense for the ska punk luminaries. However, the real test came about well before 2024 had even concluded. When the Sublime reunion was officially underway, but only a couple of shows in, the three-piece had a colossal event to ‘Get Ready’ for.
The band were invited to perform TWICE at the internationally renowned and celebrated Coachella Festival in April 2024 at the infamous Empire Polo Club in the Colorado Desert. A festival that can host up to 125,000 concertgoers per weekend (a total of 250,000 people). This undertaking foreseeably shook JN to his core.
“The first time I ever did a show with the guys, I was so nervous, but it was for a really good cause and I pulled through. After doing that Bad Brains show, we wanted to keep on doing it, and [apparently] so did Mr. (Paul) Tollett from Coachella,” Nowell discloses with a hint of disbelief, even more than a year after it transpired. “We walked up on that stage two weekends in a row and I was scared shitless! But we pulled through, and it was trial by fire for sure. Since then, we have gotten very comfortable with each other. The show that we're bringing to Australia is going to be exciting because, you know, it's the 38th anniversary of the self-titled record. There’s going to be a lot of those songs, and we got a bunch of new songs coming out too, so fans can expect to hear some of those from us as well!”
Sublime was matter-of-factly announced as one of the headliners for the 2026 edition of the esteemed Bluesfest taking place in April near the beloved Byron Bay beachside town. A prospect that Jakob is immeasurably euphoric for, especially considering the outfit will also be performing headline shows in Melbourne and Sydney (sorry, Adelaide).
“So excited to finally get to come out there, man! You know, Australia is a place I've always wanted to visit, and I just have so much profound love and respect for. A lot of my favourite artists come out of there. Recently, we've been working with and becoming good friends with Skegss (announced as their support act), and I've been a really big fan of them for a while, so getting to see what Benny (Reed, vocalist/guitarist) and the dudes are up to recently it's just been so exciting. Also, I was informed at a recent psychic reading that I am meant to meet my future wife in Australia.”
Love interest aside, the other exhilarating prospect that Jake discussed was Sublime working on new music. ‘Ensenada’, their latest single, was released in July 2025 and reached the number-one spot on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart. The outfit last achieved this with ‘What I Got’ in 1996.
‘Ensenada’ is their longest-lasting number one song, surpassing the three weeks that ‘What I Got’ achieved at the top. Furthermore, it broke the record for the greatest amount of time between number one singles by one artist on the chart, equating to 28 years and 10 months. Arguably, the best news of all is that this is the first official release from Sublime’s forthcoming new album.
“That was the biggest surprise this year for us! I feel so grateful that people took to it like they did, because a lot of lyrics are just, you know, silly ones meant to make us laugh, but there is an emotional core behind everything we do, no matter what. So getting the seven weeks on number one alternative airplay, that was a big, gratifying benchmark for us to hit for sure, and it shows that there are still multiple generations of people out there who are interested and excited about what Sublime has to offer.”
Referring back to the original quote at the commencement of this article, it plagued this writer to ask Jakob if there were there certain songs that he may have been jamming out with Sublime when they first reunited, and during that process, did he find a new energy? Or adrenaline? Or a different kind of flow in his physical, mental, emotional or even spiritual state when he was playing? Then finally, if he could comprehend that it is possibly what his dad felt when HE played these compositions?
“Oh, totally, yeah. Great question, man. I think there's certain exciting moments that, once I learned how to perform them, I could feel that sort of energy. Especially when I listen to old demos of certain songs; that's what makes my dad such an exciting singer and performer. There was a lot of passion, intensity, and excitement - you can tell by what he was saying. I think the ending and final verse for ‘April 29’ comes to mind, as well as ‘Greatest Hits’.”
He elaborates further – “Whenever I get like, apprehensive, or like: ‘Oh man, am I going to nail this set coming up? I got to do good.’ I just think of those songs and how much fun it is to get into those feelings and in those states, and then I get excited again.”
“Fond memories of my father, who even from a distance, was always present.”
Catch Sublime performing as part of Byron Bay Bluesfest on Thursday 2 April (tickets on sale via bluesfest.com.au) and headlining shows at Melbourne’s Festival Hall on Wednesday 1 April (tickets on sale here) and Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on Saturday 4 April (tickets on sale here).
