Sublime is easily one of the most well-known ska-punk bands. Sadly, the group suffered tragedy when its lead singer, Bradley Nowell, passed away in 1996. Since then, the group has reunited with Nowel’s son, Jakob Nowell, performing in place of his beloved father, with many praising what he has to offer.
Sublime recently took to their official TikTok page to share a clip of Nowell performing for an adoring audience. In it, the band members are performing their classic track, “Summertime.” The band captioned the post, “Sublime summer never ends.”
As almost any Sublime fan would say, he sounds practically identical to his father and has the stage presence to boot. So far, the clip has garnered over 25,000 likes and hundreds of comments.
One person said, “God, he sounds just like his dad.” Someone else wrote, “imagine inheriting this position in life 🔥” Additionally, one fan said, “Who would’ve guessed we’d get second gen Sublime!?” Finally, another person stated, “That’s Jakob Nowell… It’s Bradley’s son. he sounds great, and the only person that should head that band.”
Sublime Fans Still remember Nowell
Sublime formed in 1988 in Long Beach, California. In additon to Nowell, the group included Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh. Their debut album, “40 oz. to Freedom,” was released in 1992 via Skunk Records. Notably, MCA records later reissued the album. In total, Sublime has three studio albums.
According to SF Gate, Nowell passed away on May 26, 1996. His death occurred in a San Francisco motel before the group was set to take the stage at a sold-out concert. His death was the result of a drug overdose.
Following Nowell’s passing, Wilson and Gaugh stopped performing as Sublime. They later launched the group Long Beach Dub Allstars and then Sublime with Rome.
The Band Has a New Album Coming Out
Sublime reunited in late 2023 for a benefit concert. This time, Nowell’s son joined Wilson and Gaugh, providing the lead vocals for the band’s classics. The following year, the band performed at several high-profile music festivals. This includes Coachella.
Now, Sublime has a new album in the works. Nowell told Rolling Stone in March 2025, “It’s the epilogue. Something that explores my lifetime relationship with this amazing body of work from a figure that I really never even got to meet, a figure who inspired so many music listeners and musicians around the world.”
Sublime is working with Travis Barker and John Feldmann for the project. Nowell said, “Dude, those guys are awesome. Travis is an old-school fan and scholar of the Sublime catalog… They feel like family members now too, man. There was that feeling from everyone that what we’re doing here is something generational and special on an emotional, spiritual, familial level.”
Yeah, dude did pretty good! I saw him rock his hometown crowd at Warped Long Beach this summer. I wish him well 👍.