Sunflower Bean
The Best-Kept Secret in Indie Rock
A band called Sunflower Bean is going on tour following the release of its latest EP King of the Dudes –– and you’ll want to catch a show if you can.
The indie rock group first formed in 2013, it’s name a tribute to two friends’ obsessions with sunflower seeds and coffee beans. New York natives and high school classmates Nick Kivlen and Jacob Favor performed as a duo before joining forces with Julia Cumming. The Brooklyn babe left another band behind to become the frontwoman and bassist of Sunflower Bean.
Cumming best embodies the ever-changing sound of Sunflower Bean with her mix of smooth and gravelly vocals. Her voice has the classic grittiness of Pat Benatar mixed with the silky and modern clarity of Hayley Williams –– but her talent is evolutionary beyond genre boundaries. (One of the group’s most popular songs on Spotify is a cover of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon.”) Cumming’s dynamicism blends effortlessly with Kivlen’s punchy but artfully executed guitar riffs on every track.
Sunflower Bean’s distinct blend of modern alternative and vintage psychedelic sounds was cultivated in two full-length studio albums before the release of King of the Dudes. But the four-track EP shows off some of the band’s best work and makes it clear the group is ready to share its sound with bigger audiences.
Sunflower Bean will spend the summer touring with big name artists like Courtney Barnett, Cage the Elephant, Beck and more in addition to gracing a few festival stages. The group’s live performances are sure to be a delight for fans of rock music in all forms.
