The US reggae-punk/alternative rock trio Sublime have spent the summer promoting a new single entitled ‘Ensenada’ in their home territory. Issued in mid-July, it has just become the band’s first no. 1 song in almost 30 years, topping both the Billboard Rock & Alternative Airplay and Mediabase Alternative Radio Charts. It has also earned them the record for the longest gap between no. 1 songs in Alternative radio chart history at 28 years and 10 months!
‘Ensenada’ is the first piece of original music by Sublime in three decades and, significantly, the first song written by the current trio since Jakob Nowell - son of the late founding frontman
Bradley Nowell - stepped into the role of lead vocalist and guitarist. Fans old and new have praised the band for sticking to their classic sound, while also highlighting the vocal
similarities.
2025 has proved to be a milestone year for Sublime. Simultaneous with the release of ‘Ensenada’, they performed all across North America, participating in the Vans Warped Tour in both Washington
DC and their hometown of Long Beach CA, the latter of which marked 30 years since their appearance at its inaugural event. The band have also played sold out shows coast to coast, the undoubted
highlight being their first ever Fear, Loathing & Sublime in Las Vegas festival events in mid-August.
Now, with another no. 1 finally under their belts, Sublime have no plans to slow down, with further headlining concerts and festival performances to come. And, who knows, perhaps 2026 has some
more new Sublime in store!
SUBLIME | biography
The Long Beach, CA reggae-punk/alternative rock trio Sublime was founded in 1988 by Eric Wilson, Bud
Gaugh and Bradley Nowell, releasing a self-produced debut album, ‘40oz. to Freedom’, in 1992 via Skunk Records. Heavy radio exposure on KROQ some time after its initial release landed the band a
deal with Gasoline Alley Records (a division of MCA).
Its 1994 follow-up, ‘Robbin’ the Hood’, revealed an experimental ethic more in keeping with cut-and-paste dub than the well-tuned rage of the California punk revival. It performed well at college
radio and set the stage for the breakout success of their self-titled third album. However, Nowell tragically passed away on 25th May 1996 and the band collapsed, but Universal pressed ahead with
the release of the eponymous set that July.
On the strength of the chart-topping alternative radio hit ‘What I Got’, the album was certified gold by the end of 1996. The radio hits ‘Santeria’ and ‘Wrong Way’ followed, resulting in the
album selling more than 9 million copies, all without any live shows to promote it. This success spread to the earlier records, leading ‘40oz. to Freedom’ to double-platinum status and ‘Robbin’
the Hood’ to gold. In all, Sublime has gone on to sell over 18 million albums in the US alone, with their genre-defining contributions to music and cultural influence stronger now than ever
before.
December 2023 saw Nowell’s son Jakob join original Sublime members Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson on stage for the first time to perform at a benefit concert for H.R. of Bad Brains. With an
undeniable musical synergy between the three, plus overwhelming support from their global fanbase, they decided to move forward and add to their legacy. Within a few months, the revised line-up
debuted on the main stage at Coachella, garnering rave reviews and positive fan reactions.
Their appearance coincided with the band issuing their first new song in almost 28 years, with ‘Feel Like That’ peaking at no. 5 on the alternative airplay chart. They also made their late-night
television debut on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and appeared on the Howard Stern Show.
2025 has been even busier, with headlining US shows and more high-profile festival slots. These included a home town set in Long Beach, CA on the Vans Warped Tour in late July, plus the Fear,
Loathing and Sublime in Las Vegas festival that took place at the Park MGM in mid-August. It featured sets by Sublime as well as punk powerhouses Pennywise, The Vandals and more.
Sublime are currently managed by Regime Music Group co-founder Kevin Zinger and music industry vet/Vandals bassist Joe Escalante.
