Pioneering rock band Sublime officially stopped making music in 1996, but since then, the group has remained incredibly popular and influential. For a while, the outfit reunited under a slightly different name, for legal reasons. Soon, they’ll be back together under their original moniker, though with a somewhat different lineup, and fans may be treated to the first new tunes from Sublime in decades.
Sublime is set to play Coachella later this spring–and as Sublime, no less. Ahead of their must-see performance, the newly-reformed band spoke about the future and this bright era–and whether or not they’re going to produce anything new.
When asked about the possibility of writing and recording new music and releasing it under the Sublime name, band member Bud Gaugh commented, “We’ll see how it goes from the rehearsals,” before adding that he’s “pretty certain we’re gonna see some music coming out with this project.”
Sublime stopped making music in 1996 after frontman Bradley Nowell died of an overdose. The two remaining members then reunited and began touring years later, but they were forced to go by the name Sublime with Rome (as they included singer Rome Ramirez) for legal reasons. That separate-but-related group split last year.
The original Sublime has reformed, albeit with Nowell’s son Jakob filling in for his late father. His inclusion has seemingly helped them use the original, trademarked name, which is very appealing to festivals like Coachella, as well as several others the band is set to play this year.
About being included in Sublime and the future of the band, Jakob told Spin, “The way I look at it is, you have these two dudes who are best f***ing friends playing in the same band and they want me to be involved with them because I’m their buddy’s kid.” He added, simply, “I have to do this. I don’t have an option.”
Sublime released just three albums during their initial run–40oz. to Freedom, Robbin' the Hood, and a self-titled–between 1992 and 1996. The group found major commercial success only after the death of their lead singer, when their singles “What I Got” and 'Santeria' became staples of college rock and alternative rock radio. They helped popularize ska in rock music, and their legacy has continued to grow positively for decades since they last put music out.
