Sunflower Bean
{{Short description|American rock band}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| image = EOTR010918-50 (45332091444).jpg
| caption = Sunflower Bean performing in 2018
| name = Sunflower Bean
| landscape = yes
| origin = Glen Head, New York and Brooklyn, New York, US
| genre = Glam rock, indie rock, post-punk revival, psychedelic rock
| label = Fat Possum, Mom + Pop Music
| years_active = 2013–present
| website = {{URL|sunflowerbeanband.com}}
| current_members = Julia Cumming
Olive Faber
Nick Kivlen
}}
Sunflower Bean is an American rock band from Glen Head, New York and Brooklyn founded in 2013. The band consists of Julia Cumming (bass, lead vocals), Nick Kivlen (guitars, backing vocals), and Olive Faber (drums).{{cite web|last1=Richards|first1=Sam|title=One to watch: Sunflower Bean|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jan/30/one-to-watch-sunflower-bean-new-music-human-ceremony|website=The Guardian|accessdate=30 May 2016|date=30 January 2016}} Their most recent album Headful of Sugar was released in May 2022.
Career
File:Sunflower Bean, October 2013.jpg
Kivlen and Faber were childhood acquaintances who both enrolled at North Shore High School in Glen Head, New York in 2009. They initially collaborated when Olive briefly subbed for the drummer in Turnip King, the band for which Nick was the bassist.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tw9_v86_TA|title=Turnip King - Serious Business on BTR [ep88]|last=BreakThruRadioTV|date=27 August 2012|website=Youtube.com|accessdate=29 May 2018}} By early 2013, the two began to create their own original music, practising and writing in Faber's basement.{{cite web|url=http://noisey.vice.com/read/noisey-next-sunflower-bean-human-ceremony|title=How Sunflower Bean Reclaimed Classic Rock and Made It Cool Again|date=30 March 2016|website=Noisey.vice.com|accessdate=29 May 2018}} The name of their new band apparently came about due to Kivlen's obsession with sunflower seeds alongside Faber's concurrent love of coffee and coffee beans. The Manhattan-based Cumming, who had been performing in the band Supercute! along with Rachel Trachtenburg since 2009, met Faber and Kivlen at an early Sunflower Bean show; she agreed to join the band as bassist in August 2013, as Supercute! was dissolving.{{cite web|url=https://diymag.com/2016/02/02/sunflower-bean-interview-human-ceremony|title=Sunflower Bean: "Let the next generation have a hero"|author=Snook, Emma|date=February 2, 2016|work=DIY}} In the following year, the band moved from Long Island to Bushwick, Brooklyn, becoming active in the borough's thriving "DIY" scene,{{cite web|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/julia-cumming-sunflower-bean-human-ceremony|title=Hedi Slimane Muse and Sunflower Bean Singer Julia Cumming on the Band's Debut Album|website=Vogue.com|date=5 February 2016|accessdate=29 May 2018}} even as they felt ambivalent about much of the scene's aesthetic.{{cite web|url=http://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/discovery-sunflower-bean/|title=Discovery: Sunflower Bean - Interview Magazine|date=15 August 2014|website=Interviewmagazine.com|accessdate=29 May 2018}}
The band's appearance at the 2014 CMJ Music Marathon received good notices from All Songs Considered{{'}}s Bob Boilen{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2014/10/27/358101720/bob-boilens-top-10-discoveries-from-the-2014-cmj-music-marathon|title=Bob Boilen's Top 10 Discoveries From The 2014 CMJ Music Marathon|publisher=NPR|date=27 October 2014|accessdate=29 May 2018|last1=Boilen|first1=Bob}} and from The New York Times{{'}}s Jon Pareles, who wrote "New York is still home to bands as varied as Sunflower Bean, whose music suggests what might have happened if psychedelia had emerged after punk and the Police rather than before."{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/27/arts/music/newcomers-and-comebacks-.html|title=Eras Mix Among 1,300 Groups at CMJ Music Marathon|first=Jon|last=Pareles|date=26 October 2014|accessdate=29 May 2018|website=The New York Times}} They released their first EP, Show Me Your Seven Secrets, initially through their Bandcamp page on January 5, 2015,{{cite web|url=https://sunflowerbean.bandcamp.com/album/show-me-your-seven-secrets-ep|title="Show Me Your Seven Secrets" EP, by Sunflower Bean|website=Sunflower Bean|accessdate=29 May 2018}} and later via Fat Possum Records. The EP, which features the singles "Tame Impala" and "2013", was called "astonishingly good" by the NME.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/various-artists/16090|title=5 Great Albums That May Have Passed You By This Week - NME|website=NME|date=22 May 2015|accessdate=29 May 2018}} (The band, fans of Tame Impala, had named a song after the Australian combo, noting that Tame Impala itself had named a song "Led Zeppelin". ) Cumming provided a good description of the band's sound at the time to i-D: "We used to call it 'neo-psychedelia for the digital age', and now we've just been calling it 'night music', however someone may take that. It's like if Black Sabbath mixed with The Smiths, maybe?"{{cite web|url=https://i-d.vice.com/en_gb/article/supercute-sunflower-bean-singer-julia-cumming-is-hedi-slimanes-new-muse|title=supercute sunflower bean singer, julia cumming, is hedi slimane's new muse|date=1 August 2014|website=I-d.vice.com|accessdate=29 May 2018}} The band toured relentlessly, gaining themselves the title of New York City's "hardest-working band" in 2014{{cite web|url=https://www.ohmyrockness.com/features/10561-the-10-hardest-working-bands-of-2014|title=The 10 Hardest-Working Bands of 2014|website=Ohmyrockets.com|accessdate=29 May 2018}}); they still tour extensively today, both as headliners and as openers for bands like Pixies, Wolf Alice, DIIV, Foxygen, Best Coast, Cherry Glazerr and Sleigh Bells.
After a successful series of performances at South by Southwest 2015, the band was signed to Fat Possum Records, and an inaugural 7" single ("I Hear Voices" b/w "The Stalker") was released on July 24. On November 12, 2015, they premiered the single "Wall Watcher" on The Fader, announcing also the cover art, release date and track list of their first album, Human Ceremony.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thefader.com/2015/11/12/sunflower-bean-wall-watcher-human-ceremony|title=Sunflower Bean Announces Debut Full-Length With Another Killer Track|website=The FADER|access-date=2016-06-01}} The album, which had a more nuanced and pop-friendly feel than the band's earlier "heavy neo-psychedelia" recordings, was released on February 5, 2016, via Fat Possum Records.{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-sunflower-beans-sharp-dreamy-debut-20160129|title=Hear Sunflower Bean's Sharp, Dreamy Debut|date=29 January 2016|publisher=rollingstone.com|author=Vozick-Levinson, Simon}} The album was recorded at Thump Studios in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in eleven days - produced by Matthew Molnar (formerly of the band Friends) and engineered by Jarvis Taveniere. The Fader wrote that Human Ceremony's "sounds are retro, but the lyrics grapple with the loneliness of contemporary existence"; Faber opined to the magazine that the album was "about the weight of being alive," while Kivlen wondered how alien civilizations would grapple with seemingly incomprehensible present-day human behaviors on Earth: "If there was an alien text book, there would be a picture, and the alien-language caption would just say, like, 'Human Ceremony'."{{cite web|url=http://www.thefader.com/2016/02/11/sunflower-bean-human-ceremony-interview|title=Meet Sunflower Bean, The NYC Trio Making Retro Rock For Modern Life|website=Thefader.com|accessdate=29 May 2018}} Billboard's Joe Lynch wrote "Even though no one in Sunflower Bean is of legal drinking age, the Brooklyn indie trio's Human Ceremony is one of the most fully realized, sonically eclectic debut albums (everything from psych pop to stoner metal gets touched upon) in a minute".{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/podcasts/6890335/sunflower-bean-must-hear-podcast|title=Sunflower Bean Shares Favorite Music of 2016 So Far: Must-Hear Music Podcast|website=Billboard.com|accessdate=29 May 2018}}
"I Was a Fool", the first single released from Sunflower Bean's second album Twentytwo in Blue, debuted on NPR's "Songs We Love" series on November 3, 2017,{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/11/03/561602492/songs-we-love-sunflower-bean-i-was-a-fool|title=Get Into The Melancholy Groove Of Sunflower Bean's 'I Was A Fool'|newspaper=NPR|date=3 November 2017|accessdate=29 May 2018|last1=Buerger|first1=Megan}} distributed by Mom + Pop Music in the US and by Lucky Number Music worldwide.{{cite web|url=http://www.momandpopmusic.com/blog/2017/11/sunflower-bean-releases-new-tracks-and-becomes-part-of-the-mompop-family|title=Sunflower Bean Join Mom + Pop and Release New Song "I Was A Fool" plus Video|website=Momandpopmusic.com|date=3 November 2017 |accessdate=29 May 2018}} The album, released on March 23, 2018, was co-produced by Matthew Molnar and Jacob Portrait (of Unknown Mortal Orchestra), recorded at Thump Studios by Jarvis Taveniere, and mixed by Portrait. The band released a second single ("Crisis Fest") on January 12, 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2018/01/sunflower-bean-twentytwo-in-blue.html|title=Sunflower Bean Announce Twentytwo in Blue, Share Galvanizing Single "Crisis Fest. The album charted at 39 in the UK album chart"|website=Pastemagazine.com|accessdate=29 May 2018}}
The band released an EP, King of the Dudes, on January 25, 2019 on the Mom + Pop Music label. The EP featured the single "Come For Me".{{Cite web|url=https://www.musicnewsnet.com/2019/01/sunflower-bean-release-new-ep-today-via-mom-pop.html|title=SUNFLOWER BEAN Release New EP Today via Mom + Pop}}
A single, "Baby Don't Cry", was issued on Mom + Pop on October 13, 2021.[https://www.nme.com/news/music/sunflower-bean-celebratory-new-single-baby-dont-cry-2022-uk-tour-3069580 "Sunflower Bean tell us about their celebratory new single 'Baby Don't Cry' and 2022 UK tour"], NME, October 13, 2021 This song was included on the band's third full-length album, Headful of Sugar, which was released on May 6, 2022 on Mom + Pop.[https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/sunflower-bean/new-album-headful-of-sugar/ "Sunflower Bean Announce Headful of Sugar, Share 'Who Put You Up to This?'" Paste Magazine, February 27. 2022]
The EP Shake is released on September 27, 2024 , which is accompanied by a 14-minute performance based video directed by Isaac Roberts.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/sunflower-bean-shake-ep-video-interview-3777375|accessdate=2 August 2024|title=Sunflower Bean tell us about elemental new EP 'Shake'|website=NME |date=24 July 2024}}
Musical influences
Sunflower Bean's influences come from various genres and artists. The acts include Beach Fossils, Black Sabbath, the Byrds, Captured Tracks, the Cure, Devo, DIIV, Fleetwood Mac, glam rock, Led Zeppelin, Connan Mockasin, the Modern Lovers, Neu!, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, the Ramones, the Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols, the Smiths, Spacemen 3/Spiritualized, Sun Kil Moon, Talking Heads, Tame Impala, Tonstartssbandht, Total Slacker, T. Rex, the Velvet Underground, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, the Who, and Brian Wilson.{{cite web|url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/discovery-sunflower-bean|title=Discovery: Sunflower Bean - Interview Magazine|date=15 August 2014|website=Interviewmagazine.com|accessdate=29 May 2018}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/sunflower-bean-nycs-coolest-young-band-talks-classic-rock-inspired-debut-20160122|title=Sunflower Bean: Meet NYC's Coolest Young Band|magazine=Rolling Stone|accessdate=29 May 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O1bgwy9gzA|title=Sunflower Bean on Records In My Life 2017|last=RIML_TV|date=3 March 2017|website=Youtube.com|accessdate=29 May 2018}}
Discography
=Studio albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions !scope="col" rowspan="2"| Title !scope="col" rowspan="2"| Details !scope="col" colspan="1"| Peak chart positions |
| style="width:2em;font-size:90%;"| UK {{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/48037/sunflower-bean/|title=Sunflower Bean {{!}} full Official Chart History|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=May 10, 2022}} |
|---|
| scope="row"| Human Ceremony
|
| — |
| scope="row"| Twentytwo in Blue
|
| 39 |
| scope="row"| Headful of Sugar
|
| — |
| scope="row"| Mortal Primetime
|
| — |
=EPs=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ List of EPs, with selected details !Title !Details |
| scope="row"| Show Me Your Seven Secrets
|
|
|---|
| scope="row"| From the Basement (covers EP)
|
|
| scope="row"| King of the Dudes
|
|
| scope="row"| Shake
| |
=Singles=
- "Bread" – released January 12, 2014 (self-released via Bandcamp)
- "2013" / "I Want You To Give Me Enough Time (demo)" – released March 17, 2014 (self-released via Bandcamp)
- "Tame Impala" / "Rock & Roll Heathen" – released August 15, 2014 (self-released via Bandcamp)
- "I Hear Voices" / "The Stalker" – released July 24, 2015 (Fat Possum Records)
- "Wall Watcher" – released November 12, 2015 (Fat Possum Records)
- "Easier Said" – released January 5, 2016 (Fat Possum Records)
- "I Was a Fool" – released November 3, 2017 (Mom + Pop/Lucky Number Music)
- "Crisis Fest" – released January 12, 2018 (Mom + Pop/Lucky Number Music)
- "Come For Me" – released October 30, 2018 (Mom + Pop/Lucky Number Music)
- "Moment In The Sun" – released September 17, 2020 (Mom + Pop/Lucky Number Music)
- "Baby Don't Cry" – released October 13, 2021 (Mom + Pop)
=Videos=
- "2013" – released March 16, 2014{{cite web|url=http://www.rookiemag.com/2014/03/sunflower-bean-2013/|title=Sunflower Bean: 2013 – Rookie|date=17 March 2014|website=Rookiemag.com|accessdate=29 May 2018}}
- "I Want You To Give Me Enough Time (demo)" – released April 14, 2014{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8o2vfdB6v0|title=I want you to give me enough time DEMO – Sunflower Bean (DEMO)|last=Sunflower Bean|date=14 April 2014|accessdate=29 May 2018|publisher=YouTube}}
- "Tame Impala" – released October 1, 2014{{cite web|url=https://nylon.com/articles/nylontv-sunflowerbeanpremiere|title=video premiere: sunflower bean "tame impala"|date=1 October 2014|website=Nylon.com|accessdate=29 May 2018}}
- "Wall Watcher" – released November 12, 2015{{cite web|url=http://www.thefader.com/2015/12/16/sunflower-bean-wall-watcher-video|title=Hurtle Through Sunflower Bean's "Wall Watcher" Video|website=Thefader.com|accessdate=29 May 2018}}
- "Easier Said" – released March 9, 2016{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2752274/sunflower-bean-easier-said-video/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311065120/http://www.mtv.com/news/2752274/sunflower-bean-easier-said-video/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 11, 2016|title=Watch Sunflower Bean's Dreamy 'Easier Said' Video|website=Mtv.com|accessdate=29 May 2018}}
- "Come On" – released August 9, 2016{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/67402-watch-sunflower-beans-come-on-video/|title=Watch Sunflower Bean's "Come On" Video – Pitchfork|website=pitchfork.com|date=9 August 2016|accessdate=29 May 2018}}
- "I Was a Fool" – released November 3, 2017{{cite web|url=https://diymag.com/2017/11/10/sunflower-bean-unveil-i-was-a-fool-video|title=Sunflower Bean unveil 'I Was A Fool' video|website=DIY|date=10 November 2017 |accessdate=29 May 2018}}
- "Crisis Fest" – released January 12, 2018{{cite web|url=https://diymag.com/2018/01/19/sunflower-bean-crisis-fest-video-twentytwo-in-blue-watch|title=Sunflower Bean document Brooklyn show in new 'Crisis Fest' video|website=DIY|date=19 January 2018 |accessdate=29 May 2018}}
- "Twentytwo" – released March 5, 2018{{cite web|url=https://diymag.com/2018/03/05/sunflower-bean-head-to-prom-for-twentytwo|website=DIY|accessdate=9 April 2020|title=Sunflower Bean head to prom for 'TwentyTwo' |date=5 March 2018}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.sunflowerbeanband.com/ Official website]
- [https://www.discogs.com/artist/4221227-Sunflower-Bean Sunflower Bean Discogs]
- [https://www.youtube.com/user/SunflowerBeanVEVO Sunflower Bean Vevo]
{{Authority control}}
Category:American musical trios
Category:American neo-psychedelia groups
Category:Fat Possum Records artists
Category:Indie rock musical groups from New York (state)
Category:Musical groups established in 2013
Category:Musical groups from Brooklyn
Category:Musical groups from Long Island
Category:American post-punk revival music groups
Category:2013 establishments in New York (state)