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This week on The Story Behind the Song podcast, host Peter Csathy welcomes Sublime drummer Bud Gaugh to dive into the story behind their classic 1996 track, “Wrong Way.” Listen below or wherever you get your podcasts.
On this episode, discover the classic song’s spontaneous, beer-fueled origins at Willie Nelson’s Texas studio. Gaugh reveals how a casual conversation was transformed overnight by frontman Bradley Nowell into the iconic lyrics, and how the track was captured in just two takes —with the studio trombone player famously getting paid with producer Paul Leary’s own watch.
“[Trombonist Jon Blondell] comes in and just fucking killed it, right?” Gaugh recalls. “So, Paul’s like, ‘Here, we need your social security number, have you sign off on this all.’ All legitimate, legal stuff! And [Blondell’s] like, ‘Uh, I don’t know about that.’ Paul’s like, ‘You gotta take something!’ He’s like, ‘I like that watch…’ Finally, he came around a year or so later, Universal was like, ‘We can’t have this guy just getting paid a watch! It’s gotta be legit!'”
The conversation also explores Sublime’s gritty, organic creative process, fueled by their Long Beach friendships and experiences. Gaugh recounts the band’s early struggles, the tragedy of Bradley Nowell’s passing just before their breakout, and their powerful rebirth with Bradley’s son, Jakob, highlighted by an impactful performance at last year’s Coachella.
Looking forward, Bud shares his excitement for Sublime’s future, including their first new album in decades and upcoming single “Ensenada” (out July 18th). He describes the magical, full-circle experience of creating new music and touring with Jakob Nowell, bringing the band’s story into a new era. Get tickets to their upcoming shows, including August’s two-day Fear, Loathing & Sublime in Las Vegas, New Jersey’s Sea.Hear.Now festival, and July’s Long Beach edition of Warped Tour’s return, here.
Listen to Bud Gaugh talk about “Wrong Way” and more above or on your favorite podcast platform. Then, make sure to follow The Story Behind the Song, and rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Fans can also check out our TSBTS merch — including a killer poster and jigsaw puzzle — available now at the Consequence Shop or via the buy now buttons below! Follow host Peter Csathy on Threads at @pcsathy and at Deep Cuts Media, and keep up with the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our shows.
English (US) · 