Sublime's New Singer Has Some Surprising Metal Influences

Jakob Nowell, the new singer of Sublime, has named a trio of legendary acts who have influenced his vocal style, including some metal singers, which some fans may find a bit surprising.

Jakob is the son of Bradley Nowell, Sublime’s original singer who died in 1996. Bradley’s death was tragic in a multitude of ways – not only were Sublime about to become a huge mainstream success with their self-titled album, but baby Jakob was less than a year old when his father passed.

Jakob, now 28, recently took over as Sublime’s lead singer. And though he can project breezy, SoCal vibes much like his dad, his biggest influences are actually hard rock and metal acts.

“The stuff I really liked listening to as a kid was like, Queens of the Stone Age was my favorite band. And Tool. And System of a Down,” Jakob revealed during an appearance on the Tuna on Toast with Stryker podcast. “I would just try to sing like those guys. I would try to listen to their amazing vocal lines and try to do it. Whether it was the subtle, cool falsetto of Josh Homme. Or the wild, craziness in System of a Down from Daron [Malakian] and fuckin’ Serj [Tankian].”

As Jakob explained, mimicking these artists helped him develop his singing voice in the early years. Among his favorites, he held Tool’s frontman in especially high regard.

“To me, Maynard [James Keenan] always seemed like this unattainably perfect singer goal,” Jakob admitted. “And so I’m like, ‘If I can just sing along, and try to get it as close as I can to these guys, then maybe I can get somewhere.’ And it took me a while, but now I’m actually pretty proud of what I can do vocally.”

Jakob Nowell Fronts Sublime at Coachella

Jakob made his official debut as Sublime’s new frontman with a rousing performance at Coachella on Saturday night (April 13). This technically wasn’ his first time joining with surviving members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh, as the rio previously played at a 2023 benefit gig.

Still, Coachella marked Jakob’s public ordination, and the band’s performance has been praised by old-school Sublime lovers and new fans alike. Their set list included classic hits such as “Wrong Way,” “What I Got” and Santeria,” as well as deeper cuts like “Romeo” and “Greatest-Hits.”

Sublime will return for Coachella’s second weekend before heading out for further festival dates later this summer.

Watch Jakob Nowell's Interview on 'Tuna on Toast with Stryker'