OAR (Photo courtesy the artist)
LAW Records, in conjunction with The Nowell Family Foundation, are due to release a very special compilation, The House That Bradley Built, on Sept. 4. The new compilation features never-before-released acoustic covers from the catalogue of Bradley Nowell’s band Sublime performed by 20+ bands.
From that compilation, today’s Song of the Day is Rockville roots rockers OAR’s cover of “Badfish,” which hails from Sublime’s first album, 40oz. to Freedom (1992).
Profits from the record go to The Nowell Family Foundation to build Bradley’s House, a rehab center in Southern California named after the late Sublime frontman Bradley James Nowell.
“Bradley James Nowell died of a heroin overdose on May 25, 1996. It was a devastating loss for his family, friends and fans,” said Jim Nowell, Bradley’s father. “From this pain, came a burning desire to help others who battle with opioid addiction to overcome the disease before it takes their lives. That’s why we started the Nowell Family Foundation,” he added.
The Nowell Family Foundation has a mission to build and sustain Bradley’s House, a 6-bed opioid recovery center for economically disadvantaged and struggling musicians, and to offer free services while musicians recover. Jim “Papa” Nowell said, “The vision for Bradley’s House is to create a place of hope and healing for people in the music industry. A place where creativity can be an outlet for transformation. A place where passion can be a motivation for change. A place where music can be a source of strength.” With the new compilation, The House That Bradley Built, musicians donated their time and music to take a stand against opioid addiction and to help support those battling addiction.
Watch a lyric video for “Badfish” by OAR on YouTube:
A true celebration of the prolific songwriter’s life, the compilation highlights the Cali-reggae rock scene Bradley Nowell helped establish through his mainstream success. In the wake of his untimely death, Bradley along with his band Sublime influenced a generation of musicians who continue to sonically blend mixtures of punk rock, ska, and reggae. Some of these inspired artists featured on the compilation include G. Love, Pepper, HIRIE, The Expanders, Common Kings, The Skints, and Trevor Young (SOJA).
The forthcoming release comprises reimagined versions of songs connected with Bradley and Sublime. Punk rock notables Descendents contributed an ukulele rendition of their song “Hope,” a song Bradley covered on 40 Oz. to Freedom. Reggae legend Half Pint performs his song, “Lovin’,” which was the original sample for “What I Got” (Sublime). Additionally, Jim Lindberg of Pennywise donated a cover of “Boss DJ” (Robbin’ the Hood).