Jakob Nowell has released the new Jakobs Castle single “Vincent Thomas” online — a song produced by Jon Joseph, the same producer behind Sublime’s “Ensenada,” the band’s first chart-topping track in nearly 30 years. For this track Nowell dives head-first into the darkly comic chaos of self-awareness, a swirling mix of surf-grunge melody, indie-pop hooks, and raw California soul. Written and performed by Jakob Nowell — a third of the creative force carrying forward the Sublime lineage while carving his own off-beat path — the track pulls its title from San Pedro’s Vincent Thomas Bridge, a landmark that looms over Southern California as both a scenic icon and a symbol of escape.
“Southern California is my home and my music is a reflection of that. There are so many local mysteries that are present everywhere that exist in our peripherals. Jakobs Castle is in a lot of ways a surreal and dark view of socal with just enough humor to be self aware,” said Jakob Nowell. “The Vincent Thomas bridge stands as a symbol for so much in my life. From Bukowski and the Minute Men all the way to my recordings with Sublime in San Pedro, that big green bridge holds a lot of profound weirdness that I channeled into my new single Vincent Thomas.”
Opening with an off-hand laugh (“I was literally in psychosis”), Nowell turns tragedy into sing-along catharsis. Beneath the song’s sun-bleached guitars and driving rhythm lies a portrait of a generation raised on self-deprecating humor and quiet despair — a story of “the boy who wasn’t cool and hated everything” finding beauty in the breakdown. Each verse blurs the line between confession and observation, twisting pain into melody until it becomes something almost joyful.
Sublime singer Jakob Nowell continues to carve his own path with Jakobs Castle, blending hyper-pop and coastal vibes while never shying away from his roots. Known for sneaking Sublime classics into his live sets, Nowell’s connection to the band’s legacy runs deep. With both Nowell and Wilson hitting the road simultaneously, fans may witness a once-in-a-generation crossover moment—an onstage collaboration that could make music history.
Growing up in Southern California, the only child of Bradley Nowell and progeny of one of the most influential bands of the ’90s, Jakob Nowell never knew his father, who passed away from a drug overdose when he was just 11 months old. The chaotic household of his youth subjected him to a party lifestyle at a young age. In the absence of normal parentage while growing up in the late ’90s and early 2000s, his caretaker became the internet and its bubbling subcultures.
Now a 29-year-old charismatic young man, Jakob Nowell has entered a new era on his own personal and professional journey—one of acceptance and reverence for the past while forging his own path, in his own way. After signing with Epitaph Records in summer 2023, Jakobs Castle released their debut album Enter: The Castle in 2024 and began relentlessly touring with everyone from G. Love & Special Sauce to DENM, and Common Kings.
Jakobs Castle is currently on tour with Strawberry Fuzz and Strange Case.
TOUR DATES:
Nov 20, 2025 – The Barn – Riverside, CA
Nov 21, 2025 – The Venice West – Los Angeles, CA
with support from Strange Case, Spliffriff
Nov 22, 2025 – Ventura Music Hall – Ventura, CA
Watch the music video for Jakobs Castle “Vincent Thomas” Below!