Sublime are gearing up for an exciting new chapter, with fresh music on the horizon and their first-ever headline tour of Australia.
Jakob Nowell, son of the late Sublime frontman Bradley Nowell, is leading the band into this next era, promising fans both nostalgia and something entirely new.
The Australian leg of their comeback includes a headline appearance at Bluesfest 2026, alongside additional shows in Sydney and Melbourne — their first Australian headline shows ever. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone AU/NZ, Nowell described the project as a “family business”, carrying both personal significance and creative motivation.
“It feels so utterly special,” he said. “I wish it was my dad who we got to experience these things, but I’m really happy to get to spread the good word of his music out in new and unfamiliar territories,” admitting that Australia has been on his bucket list forever.
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Nowell added that Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh — Sublime’s original rhythm section — are itching to finally step on Australian soil. “They’re more stoked than anybody. The fact that their music is taking us there… fuck, they couldn’t be more happy.”
Alongside the tour, Sublime is preparing to release new material for the first time in years. While the band’s latest single “Ensenada” was not written with the intention of being a leading song, it quickly became a clear sign of their renewed creative spark.
The new music, Nowell said, will honour the band’s signature ska-punk-reggae sound while introducing fresh influences that reflect their growth as musicians.
“We have a unique audience, truly all ages, and I think people are drawn to a certain genuine quality that people find in Sublime,” he explained. “So I’m just so eager to share with them the new stuff we’ve been working on… as long as we keep that authenticity.”
