Sublime are working on first album since 1996 with Travis Barker

Sublime are currently working on their first new album in nearly 30 years, with help from Travis Barker.

The new record sees Jakob Nowell join the line-up – the son of the late founding vocalist Bradley Nowell. According to a recent interview with Rolling Stone, he has teamed up with original members Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson to begin work on what will be their first since their self-titled breakout LP, which arrived in 1996.

He told that outlet that he has been rummaging through his father’s studio archives in search of inspiration and has already hit the studio with both Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and producer John Feldmann.

Discussing the contributions from Barker, he said: “Travis is an old-school fan and scholar of the Sublime catalogue. 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.”

“We’re combing through and trying to distil down what makes a Sublime song a Sublime song,” he added, discussing his time combing through the archives. “It’s been this fun learning process to get close to and get to know my lost family member in a spiritual sense. I think we leave so much of ourselves, like this blueprint of our DNA, in the work that we create and put out there. So really it’s been also a fact-finding mission.”

While details about the record still remain sparse, Barker has also shared an update on the new material and said that it is already something “really special”. He said (via Consequence): “Bradley comes through his son Jakob… Chills every day in the studio when he sings and plays guitar.”

Although they are already underway with writing new music, Nowell did emphasise to the outlet that he is open to scrapping the project if it starts to feel “ threatening and lame and just not a cool thing to do”.

“But if there’s even a little bit of interest and it seems like we’re doing our job right and respecting that legacy, then of course, making music is what we want to do,” he said. “It’s Bud and Eric’s job, man. It’s what they know how to do.”

The news of a potential new album comes after Sublime released ‘Feel Like That’ last spring. It marked their first new song in 28 years, and featured vocals from the late Bradley Nowell, the band’s original frontman and co-founder.

There have also been rumours circulating about a new biopic centred around the band in recent months, and last September it was reported that Riverdale star KJ Apa has been tapped to portray the late Bradley Nowell.

The new line-up made their debut on the main stage at Coachella last year, and then went on to bring out Post Malone at a show in December.

They are continuing to embark on a number of festival appearances this summer, including slots at BottleRock Napa, Shaky Knees, Boston Calling, Sea.Hear.Now and more. Visit here for tickets.

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