Sublime are gearing up to release their first new album in 30 years. On Wednesday (March 25) the ska punk trio featuring original members drummer Bud Gaugh and bassist Eric Wilson and now fronted by Jakob Nowell — son of late frontman Bradley Nowell — revealed that they’ve completed work on Until the Sun Explodes.

In a statement on Instagram, Nowell, 30, noted that they consider the group’s smash 1996 self-titled third album — which contained such iconic hits as “What I Got,” “Santeria,” “Wrong Way” and “Doin’ Time” — to be the “last” Sublime record that will ever be made. “There’s no replacing history, period,” Nowell stated. “Until the Sun Explodes the album is an epilogue, and ‘Until the Sun Explodes’ the single is the epilogue to the epilogue. It is a tribute to the expansive works of Sublime, it is an acknowledgment for all that my father has done for me my entire life, and most importantly it is a thank you. I love you dad, and I owe you my life.”

Sublime was formed in Long Beach, Calif. in 1988 by singer/guitarist Nowell, Wilson and Gaugh. The band’s self-titled third album was released two months after Nowell died at 28 from a drug overdose, with the LP peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart. They broke up in 1996 following Nowell’s death and reformed in 2009 with fan Rome Ramirez taking over as the lead singer/guitarist, changing their name to Sublime With Rome. Gaugh left in 2011 and then rejoined in 2023 when Jakob Nowell took over as lead singer following the winding-down of Sublime with Rome in 2024.

The new album is due out on June 12 and the title track is out now, complete with a video directed by Ryan Baxley and featuring skateboard legends Christian Hosoi and Omar Hassan. The clip for the song that perfectly encapsulates the bands unique mix of surf, punk, pop and ska finds the group chilling at a skate park and cruising in classic cars as Nowell pays loving tribute to the legacy left behind by his famous father, who died in May 1996 just a few days before the band was slated to embark on their first European tour.

Jakob, whose voice eerily echoes his dad’s chill, caress me down manner, directly confronts the family legacy in the lyrics, singing, “Well it only goes til the sun explodes/ And I’d only hope that you know I owe you my life/ Do you know I owe you my life?/ Well do you know? Do you know?”

According to Vice, the band recorded more than 20 songs in a San Pedro, Calif.-area studio over the past year, with Gaugh revealing that they were joined in the sessions by FIDLAR singer Zac Carper, Pennywise guitarist Fletcher Dragge, G. Love and Bad Brains singer HR. “The whole album came together rather effortlessly,” said Gaugh. “We like it to be natural, not composed and enforced. We didn’t forget our roots. It’s the same recipe; we added a couple of extra spices to bring it up to date and add that new market value. Maybe that’s speaking to our musical maturity, you know, ability to navigate the studio and our own instruments. Man, it’s been a real treat.”

Sublime released the first single from the album, “Ensenada,” last fall, with the song giving the group their first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Alternative Airplay chart in nearly 30 years; the song spent eight weeks at the chart’s summit. Sublime are headed to Australia and New Zealand in April, before headed back to the U.S. for a pair of sold-out shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on April 17 and 18 and then to Fort Worth, Texas for the first of three planned Sublime Me Gusta Festivals featuring sets from Slightly Stoopid, Iration, Long Beach Dub Allstars, The Ataris, HR and more.

Watch the “Until the Sun Explodes” video below.

The bodyguard who allegedly confronted soccer star Jorginho’s stepdaughter during an encounter with Chappell Roan in São Paulo, Brazil over the weekend has issued a mea culpa for the incident and taken full blame. In a statement posted on Instagram, Pascal Duvier wrote, “I do not normally address online rumors, but the accusations currently circulating are false and constitute defamation.”

He added, “I take full responsibility for the interactions on March 21st. I was at the hotel on behalf of another individual, and I was not part of the personal security team of Chappell Roan. The actions I took were not on behalf of Chappell Roan, her personal security team, her management, or any other individuals.”

Duvier described making a “judgment call” based on information from the hotel, “events I had witnessed in the days prior and the heightened overall security risk of our location. My sole interaction with the mother was calm and with good intentions, and the outcome of the encounter is regretful.”

According to reports, soccer star Jorginho’s 11-year-old stepdaughter — a Roan fan who was planning to see the singer perform at last Saturday’s Lollapalooza in São Paulo — was left in tears and “extremely shaken” after the run-in. The Flamengo defensive midfielder wrote in an Instagram Story after the encounter that his wife, Catherine Harding, and stepdaughter were staying at a São Paulo hotel ahead of Roan’s headlining set on Saturday and happened to spot the singer at a hotel restaurant where they were having breakfast.

“During breakfast, the artist walked past their table. My daughter, like any child, recognised her, got excited, and just wanted to make sure it was really her,” he wrote. “And the worst part is she didn’t even approach her. She simply walked past the singer’s table, looked to confirm it was her, smiled, and went back to sit with her mum. She didn’t say anything, didn’t ask for anything.” He then described a “large security guard” coming over to their table and speaking in an “extremely aggressive manner” to the Harding and her daughter, “saying that she shouldn’t allow my daughter to ‘disrespect’ or ‘harass’ other people,” adding that he planned to file a complaint against them with the hotel.”

Jorginho said the encounter left his daughter “extremely shaken” and tearful.

Roan responded to the claims the next morning, writing on her Story on Sunday that the guard in question was not part of her personal security and that she “didn’t even see” the encounter. “I didn’t even see a woman and a child. Like, I did not. No one came up to me. No one bothered me. Like, I was just sitting at breakfast in my hotel. I think these people were staying at the hotel as well,” she said in the video filmed lying in bed.

“I did not ask the security guard to go up to talk to this mother and child,” Roan continued. “They did not come up to me. They weren’t doing anything. It’s unfair for security to just assume someone doesn’t have good intentions. When they have no reason to believe, because there’s no action even taken. I do not hate people who are fans of my music. I do not hate children. That is crazy. I’m sorry to the mother and child that someone was assuming something, that you would do something and that if you felt uncomfortable, that makes me really sad. You did not deserve that.”

Before Roan’s comment, Rio’s mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere, wrote that Roan will never be invited to perform at the free international music series Todo Mundo no Rio on Copacabana Beach as long as he’s in office, and then invited Jorginho’s daughter to attend the upcoming May event as an honored guest; previous performers have included Madonna and Lady Gaga, with Shakira slated to perform at this year’s show.

Roan has frequently clashed with photographers on the red carpet over the past few years over what she has deemed their overly aggressive manner, and the Grammy winner addressed what she said was overly familiar, “weird” fan culture in an TikTok video in 2024. “I don’t care that abuse and harassment, stalking, whatever, is a normal thing to do to people who are famous or a little famous,” she said in the clip as he voice broke. “I don’t give a f–k if you think it’s selfish of me to say no for a photo, or for your time, or for a hug. That’s not normal, that’s weird. It’s weird how people think that you know a person just because you see them online.”

CANBERRA — The kids are alright, and they don’t want to lose their connection to music. On Wednesday, March 25 a delegation of 30 young people, aged 16-25, made that clear when they travelled to the nation’s capital, Canberra, to present a 10-year roadmap that advocates for music to be treated as a public necessity.

The National Plan for Young Australians and Music, led by The Push, Australia’s leading youth music charity, is a coordinated approach that calls for stronger national infrastructure to enable all young people to participate, regardless of their postcode.

Along with the plan, The Push has submitted a A$13.4 million budget request to the Australian government to continue to deliver all-ages live music experiences, school tours and career pathways for over 160,000 young Australians.

“The Push’s new National Plan provides a clear message: your age, background, where you live or where you go to school, should not dictate your ability to access and participate in music,” comments Tony Burke, federal minister for the arts. “Music was like oxygen for me growing up – it is a core connector for young people to express themselves, and find their place in the world.”

Australia was the first country to travel down the path of social media reform, a measure that bans under-16s from accessing TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and other services, citing research that shows overexposure to social media can accelerate mental health problems for young people. Although critics have been largely drowned out, the ban does remove primary pathways to access music, community and culture, notes The Push, which conducted with YouGov that found some 72% of young people believe access to live music is essential for staying connected in a post-social media environment.

The Push this year celebrates its 40^th anniversary. In 2023, the organization expanded out of Victoria and into a national program that delivers contemporary all-ages music programs, all of it dedicated to creating safer, fairer and more inclusive music communities for young people.

Just last month, The Push secured a first-of-its kind, multi-year arrangement with Spotify, which sees the streaming giant donate A$200,000 ($142,000) to help create pathways for young people into music.

“For too long,” says Kate Duncan, CEO of The Push, “access to music for young Australians has been left to chance. We build consistent national pathways in sport, so let’s back music with the same level of clarity and coordination.”

Another day, another mission to Parliament House for a forward-looking initiative. On Thursday, March 26, the country’s creative and media sectors made the case for licensing in the age of AI by hosting panel discussions.

The session, entitled “Powering Intelligence: Media, Culture and the Future of Innovation,” was supported by ARIA and PPCA, APRA AMCOS, The Guardian Australia, News Corp Australia, and other creative and media organizations, and gathered parliamentarians, senior public servants and policy advisers.

The event follows Canberra’s decision last year not to introduce a TDM exception, despite lobbying from the tech sector, instead legislating for commercial AI developers to obtain permission for the use of copyrighted material for training.

“The government has been clear for some time that there are no plans to weaken copyright protections when it comes to AI,” comments the Attorney-General, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP. “This includes explicitly ruling out a Text and Data Mining exception, which I was extremely proud to announce last year.”

Published Dec. 19, and handed to the government on Dec. 10, the Productivity Commission’s final report on Harnessing data and digital technology concluded it would be “premature to make changes to Australia’s copyright laws.”

Speakers on Thursday included Jonathan Dworkin, executive VP, digital business development, Universal Music Group, who remarked: “We didn’t defeat piracy by turning off the internet. Ultimately, we prevailed because streamers built a better product than piracy. That’s what we hope to do with AI.”

According to Creative Australia, the nation’s creative sector contributes A$67 billion to the national economy. Licensing arrangements for AI training are falling into place. Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and Sony Music have struck agreements with large AI platforms, while Merlin, the independents’ rights agency, has negotiated with Udio.

Whether it’s the luck of the Irish, or the rub of the green, Niall Horan sure is living the life.

As a member of One Direction, the Irishman made Billboard chart history when the pop group’s 2012 debut album, Up All Night, opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making 1D the first British act to debut atop the chart with a first album.

With three additional consecutive No. 1 bows: Take Me Home (2012), Midnight Memories (2013) and Four (2014), 1D became the first group in Billboard 200 history to see its first four studio albums enter at No. 1.

It’s a similar chart tale on the other side of the Atlantic. Four U.K. No. 1 albums, four U.K. No. 1 singles.

As a solo artist, Horan has two No. 1s on the Official U.K. Albums Chart with 2020’s Heartbreak Weather and 2023’s The Show. His debut album, 2017’s Flicker, went all the way to No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

The lad is just getting started. He has served as a coach on NBC’s The Voice for three seasons, for three wins. That’s an historic, undefeated record.

Just to rub it in, Horan, now aged 32, has a pub at his home. “I mean a pub, I don’t mean a bar,” he tells Jimmy Kimmel in an interview that aired Wednesday night. “I built a pub in the basement, and it must be the worst idea I’ve ever had,” he continues. Not that Horan hates a creamy pint. Pubs typically close at 11pm in the U.K., where Horan calls home. Which means, the party all too regularly ventures on to Horan’s house. How does he empty his pub? Like a pro. It’s music off, lights out and exit by a side pathway. On your way.

Horan stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live, not for the first time, for a chat about his forthcoming fourth studio album, Dinner Party, due out June 5, and his love of Eagles (he was “absolutely obsessed” with them in his youth), the music scene of Laurel Canyon, and his touring plans.

Horan will support the new LP with an arena tour of the U.K. and Ireland, followed by a European run, starting Sept. 22 at Utilita Arena, Birmingham.

“We’re still to announce more dates,” he tells Kimmel. When asked if North America is in his plans, he responded: “It’s not announced, but yeah.” Currently, Horan has two U.S. summer 2026 dates locked in for July 9 at Geodis Park, Nashville, TN, and July 18, at Hersheypark Stadium, in Hershey, PA.

Horan’s luck, well it might just rub off. While on air, he put the call out to the social media user who unwittingly wrote a lyric, “your eyes could grow flowers,” which appears in the Dinner Party album track “Flowers.” Staring down the barrel of Kimmel’s camera, he remarked: “If you’re out there, please get in touch. I’d love to give you some percentages for the song writing.”

Earlier, Horan tested his knowledge of, well, himself, with that of a superfan, Rachel. “Wow, what just happened. I’m shook,” he later remarked, as he was trounced in a game of “Who Knows Niall Horan.”

Watch below.

Nominations are announced in full for the Association of Artist Managers’ fifth annual awards, which returns next month to Sydney’s Crowbar.

Sundowner Artists’ Simone Ubaldi & Andrew Parisi (Amyl and The Sniffers) are a strong chance to add to their collection with a nomination for artist manager of the year, a category the pair won at the inaugural AAM Awards in 2022.

This year, Ubaldi and Parisi will duke it out with Weird Fishes’ Aidan McLaren and Joe Miles (Boy & Bear, The Dreggs, Pete Murray, Steph Strings), Heartstop Music’s Alastair Burns (Folk Bitch Trio, Marlon Williams), and UNIFIED Music Group’s Caleb Williams (Radhika Das) and Dan Nascimento (Ocean Alley).

Manager of the year is one of seven categories that will be presented on the day, along with breakthrough manager of the year, emerging manager of the year and the community engagement award, all recognizing notable achievements and activity from January 2025 to December 2025.

Set for April 29, the AAM’s annual ceremony represents “some of the most influential, innovative and successful artists from around the country,” and salutes the managers who have “contributed to uplifting Australian artists and their music on a global scale,” reads a statement from the organization. “We look forward to celebrating their unwavering dedication and significant impact – and announcing the winners – on April 29.”

Also on the day, AAM will present the Legacy Award, which is curated by the trade body’s board, and the Patron’s Gift Award, which is curated by the AAM patrons. The 2026 APRA AMCOS Lighthouse Award will also be presented. Broadcaster and comedian Matt Okine is tapped to host.

“The AAM Awards are a chance to pause and recognise the managers who, over the past 12 months, have quietly steered careers through that reality, building sustainable pathways for artists, often against the odds,” comments AAM executive director Maggie Collins. “We’re looking forward to uncovering those stories and celebrating the central role managers play in holding together Australia’s music ecosystem.” 

Finalists in all categories have been determined thorough consultation with a panel of respected representatives from different areas of the Australian and international music industry.

Presented by White Sky, this year’s show, like all previous editions, will be a lunchtime gathering before the APRA Music Awards. Last year’s edition was presented in Melbourne.

The not-for-profit AAM boasts more than 400 artist manager members, representing over 1,250 Australian artists globally. Read more here.