Hailing from Long Beach, CA, yesterday Jakob Nowell announced ‘Enter: The Castle’ – the debut record from his eclectic passion project Jakobs Castle – due April 12th via Epitaph Records.
Born into music royalty as the son of late legendary Sublime frontman Bradley Nowell, there is no denying that his father’s legacy had a hand in shaping the young artist’s journey. On a personal quest to “mix California’s past with the fresh mystery of internet underground culture,” Jakobs Castle has a refreshing, cutting-edge sound that carries the keen sense of melody that has endeared his father’s music to millions of people all over the world.
Layering psychedelic guitars and charismatic vocals, Jakobs Castle shares the alluring lead single and music video “Catch Me”, one his favorite songs he’s ever written. Jakob explains, “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.” The beachy production video features Nowell buried up to his neck in the sand, check it out below:
“Catch Me”
If Jakobs Castle were a physical place, it would exist somewhere in the present that’s also rooted in history— which is exactly how Jakob Nowell approached the 14 songs that makeup Enter: The Castle. Instead of a nostalgic rehash, the project represents an unfiltered version of Jakob’s own sonic identity. Spinning elements of ska-punk, alternative rock, and electropop paired with emphatic power pop melodies, he is forging his own musical destiny in a way that’s relevant to today’s generation of listeners.
With the assistance of producer and co-collaborator Jon Joseph (Børns, Caroline Rose) who Jakob credits for helping unearth this new sound, the album’s cohesivity is in part due to its futuristic, synth-laden production, or what Jakob describes as “affected cyber ska weirdness”.
Though it may not feature palm-muted guitars or pick slides, in many ways, Enter: The Castle is a modern interpretation of punk. Prompting similarities to Sublime who organically incorporated principles of reggae and pop into their sound in the nineties, Jakob credits acts like 100 gecs as the next generation of artists to carry on that tradition of creativity, while still building on musical motifs that are universal to listeners across genres.
“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,” muses Nowell. “I find that spirit of DIY ingenuity and trying to challenge social norms to be present in those types of artists today.”
In addition to his father’s influence on his musical journey, Jakob has also been an active part of his family’s nonprofit which was inspired by Bradley’s untimely passing. The Nowell Family Foundation 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. After Jakob himself endured treatment to recover from his own opioid addiction, the Foundation 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 on December 1, 2023, in Southern California.
For more info on The Nowell Family Foundation or Bradley’s House, please visit thenowellfamilyfoundation.org