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Interview with
JAKOB NOWELL
from
SUBLIME

(26th November 2025)

Interview by Dave Bruce

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Watch the full interview below:

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JAKOB NOWELL of SUBLIME:
“We’re Just Getting Started”

When Jakob Nowell appears on screen for our chat, he’s calm, cheerful, and proudly accompanied by his cat, Fluffy. It sets the tone instantly — open, warm, honest. And honesty is exactly what makes this new era of Sublime feel so compelling.

For Jakob, son of the late Bradley Nowell, stepping into the band his father helped immortalise has been both surreal and grounding. At 30 years old, he’s already lived through multiple musical lifetimes, and his presence in Sublime — alongside original members Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson — signals a powerful new chapter.

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A Legacy Reborn

Sublime’s story stretches back to 1988 in Long Beach, California — a group of friends mixing punk, reggae, ska, hip-hop and surf culture into something uniquely West Coast. Jakob clears up the timeline succinctly.

“My father passed in ’96, and that’s why Sublime stopped then. After that came Long Beach Dub Allstars, then Sublime with Rome. Now we’re in what I call the fourth era — just Sublime again — with the original guys and me.”

His journey into the band was surprisingly simple.

“They just asked me to sing a song at a show… and we wanted to keep doing it.”

That moment sparked the rebirth of one of the most influential alternative bands of the last 30 years — but Jakob approaches the legacy with reverence and grounded clarity.

“Bradley was beloved by many. His loss is still felt. Playing these shows now feels healing — for my family and for the fans.”

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The Sublime Sound Today

Jakob describes Sublime’s sound as “West Coast alternative music — punk rock, hip-hop, surf, reggae, ska, and good old rock and roll.”

This new era isn’t about reinventing the wheel, but rather revisiting the chemistry that made Sublime timeless.

“We’re focused on a return to form — fun, funny lyrics with deeper meaning, reflecting where we grew up.”

And it’s working. Their latest single “Ensenada” hit #1 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart for seven weeks, a huge milestone for Jakob’s first release with the band.

The track borrows its name from the Mexican coastal city south of San Diego, a spot woven into Sublime lore since the early ’90s.

“It’s ironic, cheeky — what your partner thinks you’re doing down in Ensenada. People seem to enjoy that irreverent vibe.”

“Look At All the Love We Found”

Sublime also released a compilation album this year celebrating collaborators, friends, and artists touched by the band’s music. The title nods to a recurring lyric in Bradley’s songs — a sentiment that feels even more fitting today.

“They were just a couple of raunchy dudes from Long Beach having fun… and somewhere along the way they created this amazing found family.”

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Australia Awaits — Sublime’s First Time Down Under

Shockingly, despite their global footprint, Sublime has never performed in Australia. Jakob hasn’t even visited.

That changes in April, with the band set to debut at Bluesfest Byron Bay — one of Australia’s most iconic festivals.

“We’re so excited. My father never made it out there, and neither have I. It’s going to be special.”

Byron Bay and Bluesfest will be a perfect fit for Sublime’s sun-drenched, coastal, genre-bending energy. Expect multiple generations in the crowd — Sublime shows have become living evidence of how music travels through families.

“We’ve seen kids, parents, grandparents… sometimes great-grandparents. It shows how love can be generational.”

Jakob’s Creative Aspirations

Though Jakob carries one of alternative music’s most recognisable surnames, he’s carving his own artistic identity — and he’s far from finished.

“It feels like we’re just getting started. I want to see a new scene of beach-driven alternative music bloom on the West Coast. And hey… maybe one day we’ll bring an album to the Grammys. If not, that’s God’s will. If yes, we’ll ride it out.”

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Advice for Young Artists Today

Jakob’s answer begins with a hilarious gut-punch:

“You’re going to want to take your guitar, put it in its case, go sign up for community college, find a nice person, marry them — and pray you never want to write another song in your life.”

But then comes the truth.

“If that doesn’t work, and you still end up doing music, then you just have to keep going. The landscape always changes. Read Passman. Live and breathe it. But don’t forget the passions that inspired you.”

It’s wisdom delivered with humour — but forged from experience.

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Rapid-Fire “Shit Questions” (Jakob’s words, not ours)

Craziest thing he’s ever done: Break his tibia jumping into the ocean with fans — and still performing two shows that night.

Topics he can talk about for hours: “TV shows, cartoons, anime.”

What he likes most about himself: “My ability to keep going.”

Favourite album: Demon Days – Gorillaz

Favourite artist: Longmont Potion Castle

Favourite movie: The Big Lebowski

Favourite place to visit: Tokyo — “It’s so clean and regimented. They’ve got it all worked out.”

Favourite venue: Red Rocks — followed closely by Black Sheep (Colorado) and Meow Wolf (Santa Fe).

Favourite food: Polynesian-style Kalbi short rib

Favourite drink: Black iced coffee, no sugar

Favourite tattoo: Oil-painting style sun and moon pieces on his chest, by artist Deanna James.

“My uncle Opie did the Sublime logo and the chest pieces — they’re special.”

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Closing Thoughts

Conversations like this don’t always happen in music interviews — philosophical, grounded, wide-ranging. Jakob Nowell is a young man carrying a heavy and historic torch, yet he approaches it with humility, humour, and a genuine desire to connect.

Sublime’s new era doesn’t feel like nostalgia.
It feels alive.
It feels necessary.
And it feels like Jakob is exactly where he’s meant to be.

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Follow JAKOB NOWELL
X – Instagram – Facebook

Follow SUBLIME
Website – Instagram – Facebook

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Watch the full interview below:

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AMNPLIFY – DB