California alt rock trio
Sublime with Rome were formed in 2009 to carry on the legacy of ska-punk legends
Sublime. Anchored by
Sublime's bassist
Eric Wilson, and featuring frontman
Rome Ramirez, the group initially began touring its namesake's catalog, then spent the following decade recording new original albums like 2015's
Sirens under the
Sublime with Rome banner.
After frontman Bradley Nowell's 1996 death brought an end to the original lineup of
Sublime, surviving members
Wilson (bass) and
Bud Gaugh (drums) formed
the Long Beach Dub All-Stars before returning to the
Sublime catalog in 2009 with a revised lineup named
Sublime with Rome. The "Rome" is
Rome Ramirez, a singer/guitarist with whom the band first played some gigs in 2009 as
Sublime. They became
Sublime with Rome a year later, the result of a legal hangup with
Nowell's estate, and launched a cross-country tour of America.
In 2011, Fueled by Ramen released the group's first album
Yours Truly.
Gaugh left the band in 2015 and was replaced by drummer
Josh Freese (
NIN,
Vandals,
Devo), who appeared on that year's
Sirens album. The sophomore set peaked outside the Top 30 on the Billboard 200 and entered the Top Five on multiple charts. In 2017, just prior to a major North American tour with
the Offspring and
the Menzingers,
Freese was succeeded on drums by former
Tribal Seeds drummer Carlos Verdugo. Working with producer
Rob Cavallo (
Green Day,
My Chemical Romance) at El Paso's Sonic Ranch Studios,
Sublime with Rome began recording their third album. The effort's lead single, "Wicked Heart," arrived in July of 2018. ~ David Jeffries