Sublime are back on top — and they did it with a song they didn’t even expect to blow up.
“Ensenada” has now spent seven straight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative chart, officially becoming the biggest radio hit in Sublime’s entire career. Not bad for a track Jakob Nowell says started out as “a joke between friends.”
In an exclusive conversation with thepier.org, Jakob Nowell opened up about the unexpected rise of the song that’s been everywhere this year.
“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” he told The Pier. “Maybe like the second or third single… but ‘Ensenada’ wasn’t written to be a single. We wrote it to make ourselves laugh.”
Even so, the track ended up hitting a nerve — blending humor with a deeper emotional pulse. Jakob admits the band always loved the sound of it, but he didn’t predict it would become the anthem fans are obsessing over.
The success of “Ensenada” also hints at what’s coming on Sublime’s long-awaited new album.
“There’s a lot of heartfelt material… but also funny stuff,” Jakob explained. “Any good record has a whole gamut of emotions.”
And while the chart stats are impressive, Jakob says the most meaningful part has been hearing how the song has helped fans get through breakups, tough moments, and everything in between.
“People tell me they saw the absurdity in those emotionally challenging times,” he said. “Hearing that… I know I’ve done something right.”
“Ensenada” is out now on 7” vinyl via the Sublime store.
And thanks again to The Pier for giving Skratch N Sniff inside access to this conversation.
🎥 Watch The Pier’s full interview with Jakob Nowell below!