Music had always been a part of Bradley Nowell's life. His mother was a musician with perfect pitch, a trait Bradley himself inherited, while his father, who often played guitar at family gatherings, turned his young son onto folk music and taught him to play guitar. Bradley would sing and play guitar for hours with his father and uncles on holidays.
Nowell spent his teen years living with his father in ethnically diverse Long Beach, California, whose thriving punk, surf, and hip-hop music scene inspired him as did a trip to the Virgin Islands where he was introduced to reggae. Nowell would later combine these genres to create a very distinctive sound.
While still in high school, Nowell played in a few local punk bands before co-founding Sublime in 1988 with Bud Gaugh on drums and Eric Wilson on bass. The trio played parties and clubs throughout Southern California and sold their demo tapes out of the trunk of Nowell's car at live shows. In 1992, Sublime released 40 Oz. to Freedom and followed that album up in 1994 with Robbin' the Hood, both of which met with mixed reviews.
Despite their growing popularity in Southern California, major record labels failed to take notice of Sublime, which frustrated Nowell. In a bid to land a record deal, he fell prey to the myth that drugs heighten artistic creativity and dove headlong into what was intended to be a two-year heroin experiment, thereby justifying his growing drug habit. About a year into his "experiment," Sublime were signed to the label Gasoline Alley of MCA Records who picked up 40 Oz. to Freedom for nationwide distribution. The band began working on their third album and first major label release. Nowell, however, was unable to kick his habit as planned.
Brad Nowell died of a heroin overdose in May 1996 while Sublime were out on a five-day run through California in preparation for a European tour that summer to promote the upcoming release of their debut on MCA. He was 28-years old and two months shy of the recognition he so dearly sought.
Although Sublime's debut album on MCA had been recorded a couple months prior to Nowell's death, record executives initially considered scrapping the project. However, after much debate, the album, originally titled Killin It, was renamed Sublime and eventually released in July 1996. The self-titled album landed at #13 on Billboard's Top 20 while the lead single, "What I Got," hit #1 on the Modern Rock chart. The album also produced the singles "Santeria," "Wrong Way," and "Doin’ Time." Sublime was a major commercial success and went five times platinum by 1999.
After the death of their singer/songwriter/guitarist, surviving members Gaugh and Wilson decided to call it quits and Sublime, one of the most successful ska-punk bands of all time, disbanded. According to one of the group's managers, "Just like Nirvana, Sublime died when Brad died."
Fourteen years have since passed. Songs from Sublime have never been performed live, and Gaugh and Wilson thought it high time they reconnect with longtime fans and introduce the spirit of Nowell’s music to a whole new generation. The two decided to resurrect Sublime with a new frontman, 21-year-old northern California native, singer and guitarist Rome Ramirez. After a handful of jam sessions with Ramirez, the trio played an impromptu show at a small club in Nevada and were billed as special guests at Cypress Hill's Smokeout Festival in October 2009, an event dedicated to raising awareness of the cannabis counterculture.
The news of the second coming of Sublime, however, didn't sit well with everyone. Hot on the heels of the Smokeout Festival, Nowell's family was granted an injunction against the band for their use of the name Sublime. Nowell's loved ones and the executors of his estate released a statement on the band's MySpace page that read in part, "Prior to his untimely passing, both Bud and Eric acknowledged that Brad Nowell was the sole owner of the name 'Sublime'. It was Brad's expressed intention that no one use the name 'Sublime' in any group that did not include him, and Brad even registered the trademark 'Sublime' under his own name. As Brad's heirs, and with the support of his entire family, we only want to respect his wishes and therefore have not consented to Bud and Eric calling their new project 'Sublime.' Our hope is that Brad's ex-bandmates will respect his wishes and find a new name to perform under, so as to enhance the 'Sublime' legacy without the confusion and disappointment that many fans have expressed upon seeing the announcement."
But there are no hard feelings, says Gaugh. "It was never really an issue of 'You can't' or 'We won't let you' or 'We're gonna, no matter what you say,' " he says. "It was more, 'How is this gonna be done? How are we gonna put it together respectfully and...represent the old and the new."
The matter was settled when the new incarnation of Sublime agreed to go by the name Sublime With Rome. As such, the trio will hit the road this spring and summer, kicking off what will be a dozen or so North American dates with an April 20th performance at the Palladium in Los Angeles. The band plan to play some European dates in May and then return home for a full-fledged summer tour beginning in late May or early June.
*
"I can't wait to get this show on the road," Gaugh says. "Rome has got a great personality and a good vibe, and he's really humble and a real fun person to be around--and a great musician. Once we got things together and things were working out good, we were like, 'Alright, yeah! Let's go!' "
*
Gaugh promises new music from Sublime With Rome. The band have already written three new songs including "Panic," which they will be performing live, and are working on material while out on the road. They intend to try out new songs on fans before heading into the studio when they come off tour.
Given the number of successful Sublime cover bands out there, and the fact that Sublime's music remains in heavy rotation on radio stations, fans of the band are expected to turn out in droves for the upcoming Sublime With Rome tour. For further information on the band and a list of tour dates, you can check out their website at sublimewithrome.com, which went live on March 2, 2010. Portions of the proceeds from the upcoming shows will go to benefit an addiction recovery program in honor of Bradley Nowell.
