Talk about a blast from the past set to hit our eardrums—Original Sublime members Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson aren’t just dusting off their amps; they’re teaming up with none other than Bradley Nowell‘s lad, Jakob. It’s a full-circle moment that’s got me buzzing.
Remember Sublime, right? The ska-ish, reggae-ish punk band that made us fall in love back in the day? Fast forward to 2024, and they’re about to light up Coachella and select festivals too. It’s like the ’90s just walked into my uni dorms and told me to make a new MiniDisc mix.
And there’s more to this reunion than just a musical revival. Sublime‘s inked a deal with Regime Music Group. The band’s first cycle was infamously cut short by Nowell‘s untimely death, and while the Sublime with Rome project was generally well-received, it feels like the right time for the band to benefit strategically from the goodwill they’ve sown over the decades. This approach is personified by the release of a new video for “Smoke Two Joints” that captures the innocence of that era.
Now, let’s rewind to December 2023 when Jakob Nowell joined forces with Gaugh and Wilson at a Bad Brains’ H.R. benefit concert. Eight songs, including classics like “Wrong Way” and “Santeria,” and the internet collectively lost its cool. The Sublime spirit was alive, and the echo reached us across the pond.
Jakob, at 28, steps into his old man’s shoes, and there’s a poetic beauty to it. “It feels like my big crazy family is finally back together,” he says. I’ll tell you what, mate, it feels the same for us fans“.
Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson, the rhythm duo, are back in sync. Gaugh, in his poetic musings, reminisces about the surreal days starting in the Nowell‘s garage. Wilson, on the other hand, sees Jakob as the closest link to the late Bradley Nowell. Pass me the tissues, will you?
So, dust off your Sublime patches, polish your Docs, and catch them live if you can. Personally, I hope the revival brings them to the UK this summer, so we can reminisce about the good ol’ days, pint in hand, and those classic melodies in our souls. Cheers to Sublime, mate!
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