‘Cyber Ska Weirdness’: Jakob Nowell Announces Debut Album Under Jakobs Castle Moniker

Jakob Nowell, son of late legendary Sublime frontman Bradley Nowell, announced the debut album under his Jakobs Castle nom de plume. Nowell previewed Enter: The Castle, due out on April 12 via Epitaph Records, with the lead single/video “Catch Me.”

Jakob Nowell worked with producer and collaborator Jon Joseph (Børns, Caroline Rose) on Enter: The Castle. Jakob credits Joseph with helping him to find the sound on the record he describes as “affected cyber ska weirdness.”

Nowell’s music certainly contains shades of his father — who helped bring the heady brew of punk rock, ska and reggae into the 1990s by blending it with hip-hop and pop ready melodies. Jakob is doing the same with what he sees as the contemporary extrapolation of the punk ethos.

“I see the spirit of punk to be alive in what people today call hyper pop or bedroom pop, even if it’s not always aggressive,” Nowell said. “I find that spirit of DIY ingenuity and trying to challenge social norms to be present in those types of artists today.”

Jakob also honors his dad, who died of an accidental heroin overdose in 1996, by being active in The Nowell Family Foundation which “offers addiction recovery services to the music community through the combined strength of the industry and those who have been touched by the power of music,” as per a press release.

Jakob knows the struggle first hand as he went through treatment for his own opioid addiction. The foundation has expanded to Bradley’s House, “a residential recovery facility that provides treatment options for people in the music industry with opioid addiction, regardless of their financial situation.” Phase 1, a transitional sober living, opened its doors in December 2023 in Southern California.

On Enter: The Castle lead single “Catch Me,” Jakob said: “The way the reverb sounds on the chorus vocals is so satisfying to me. And the way it rises and falls just hits the sweet spot in my brain.”

Watch the video for “Catch Me” below:

Jakob Nowell will front Sublime with original members Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson at Coachella 2024. The performance and other to be announced 2024 festival slots starts a “new chapter” for the trio. Jakob shared the following statement in regards to joining Gaugh and Wilson:

“This has so many layers for me. On a spiritual level, my father passed away when he was 28, and I am 28 now. It’s an honor to carry on with our family’s name and legacy with Sublime. I’ve been a performing musician with my own projects since I was 18. It’s an absolute privilege to be able to play these Sublime songs with legendary musicians like Eric and Bud. On a personal level, my Uncles Bud and Eric are meant to play these songs and the fans want to hear them. I’m excited, nervous, thankful and humbled all at the same time to step into this role and start this new chapter. It feels like my big crazy family is finally back together and I couldn’t be more happy.”

Jakobs Castle is currently on the road with G. Love & Special Sauce. Find Jakobs Castle’s tour routing below:

Enter: The Castle Tracklist:

1. Supervillain
2. Crazy Friends
3. Lights Out
4. Sadness Is…
5. My Machine
6. Close Enough
7. Motel Radio
8. Catch Me
9. Twenty-One Miles
10. Ashlyn
11. 2 Hours Ago
12. Time Traveler
13. Emodub
14. It’s Not Me…It’s You