It’s a beautiful thing when you can watch and hear the progression of a band you’ve followed since the start of their career. For vocalist/bassist Julia Cumming, guitarist/vocalist Nick Kivlen and drummer Jacob Faber of Sunflower Bean, this is such the case. In 2013, the trio emerged from NYC’s distinct DIY scene and into the rotation of rock music enthusiasts across the country and beyond. Twentytwo in Blue, the band’s sophomore album in follow-up to 2016’s Human Ceremony, highlights a vulnerability and emotive maturity that surpasses the band’s prior releases. Not to go without mention is the triad’s ability to elicit an emotional response from the listener — which is no easy feat. In an industry full of mimicries, Sunflower Bean proves to be the breath of fresh air the rock world craves. The band’s contagious synergy can be heard throughout the album and witnessed in their dynamic live performances.
Sunflower Bean make their return to Houston tonight at White Oak Music Hall. Ahead of the show, we caught up with Cumming to discuss all things Twentytwo in Blue and how the band’s evolution has contributed to their artistic growth.
Free Press Houston: Human Ceremony and Show Me Your Seven Secrets has lead up to this musical moment with Twentytwo in Blue. So, in what ways do you feel like this album has challenged you and taken you out of your comfort zone?
Julia Cumming: Yeah, I think I agree. With Human Ceremony, we’re definitely always trying to push ourselves. We were just coming from the DIY scene. So, were really, really used to making music that you can play in lofts. It was really about that live performance experience for the three of us. On Human Ceremony, we kind of had to learn about the studio. So, with Twentytwo in Blue we were able to do that a lot more. Our intentions with Twentytwo in Blue were really different in the way that I really wanted us to understand why we were doing what we were doing and get back in touch with the songwriting process. All the live stuff is great, but if the songs aren’t touching people, what are you really doing? So, I felt like we kind of recalibrated and got deeper into ourselves and a little bit more confident in ourselves in our voice on this record.
FPH: You can hear that. To your point, what do you think helped you to gain this confidence?
JC: I think that it comes from every day that you’re working on something, you’re learning. You don’t really always know what you’re learning, but ideally, you’re learning little things all of the time. I think that one thing you learn over time over the years doing music you learn to not really care so much and to be okay with being vulnerable — not feeling like you have so much to hide. You know there’s a lot of ‘Do you feel the pressure for the second record?’ — a lot of those kind of questions we were asked. I don’t think that because I still feel like we felt like there was a lot to prove and not a lot to lose. We’re not making Top 40 music that comes on and off like at the grocery store, you know what I mean? It’s a different world, so there’s no point in not at least searching for yourself within that.
FPH: Well, you definitely have a musical footprint, an identity that’s signature to the true Sunflower Bean style. That sets you apart from all of the other bands as well. You know your voice.
JC: Thank you so much. I’m glad that that comes across. Sometimes people are like, ‘You guys really cover a lot of genres’ or a lot of things even within the record, but I think that we try to allow ourselves to see those things through and try to do the best thing for the songs rather than kind of be dictated by having to fit into one sound.
FPH: Absolutely. What I’ve gathered from listening to the album — from “I Was A Fool” to even “Memoria” (I love the lyric: “The past is the past for a reason”) — a lot went into the songwriting. What would you say was the most fun part of the process?
JC: I’d say a lot of the fun moments happen in mixing or kind of near the end. It’s also the most intense because you’re getting really close to what you want and you’re looking for the last thing to make everything pop. I think right near the end of the mixing process is where you really start to feel like everything’s fitting together and the vision is coming together.
FPH: Cool! Are you happy with the outcome?
JC: It’s not so much as if we’re happy with it, it’s just that we’re getting really close to who we are. I think that it’s also in entertainment or music, it feels like you’re always looking towards the next thing and I think that Twentytwo in Blue really helped us to understand who we are. Now I feel like we know that a lot more. It makes me even more excited for the future. I feel like there’s a lot even on the horizon. I can’t fully put into words yet, but I know it’s there.
FPH: Right. So, you’re looking forward to the future and that kind of makes me think — what do you appreciate about where you’re headed as a band creatively?
JC: I really appreciate the relationship we all have in a way that there’s a lot of trust there and we know each other so well. I feel really comfortable bringing ideas to them and the confidence in their ideas that we can really kind of lean on each other. Ultimately, I feel like that’s all you could really ask for in creative partners are people that help make your ideas come to life and make them better than what they might have started out to be.
FPH: That makes sense. With that being said, what do you feel like you’ve learned from each other artistically or even on a personal level that you wouldn’t have known about yourselves if you were solo artists?
JC: I think one thing that I especially learned from Nick and Jacob was I really, really learned about practicing. I am from New York City and they’re from Long Island, the suburbs, and I was from Manhattan. When you’re in the city, you’re always moving, and you never have any time to reflect. I had a lot of skills in a different direction, but it wasn’t until I was playing with Nick and Jacob, that I really felt like I was getting in control of my instrument. Ultimately, your control over your instrument — whatever that may be — towards your education of what you want to do is your power. No one can take that away from you. If you’re confident in that, then you don’t really have to prove anything to anyone else because you know that you’re doing your best. So, I think that the power of practice is something that Nick and Jacob really taught me.
FPH: I would have never thought of that particular aspect. There’s so much value in practice and as you know, the old adage goes “practice makes perfect.”
JC: Definitely. When people ask me for advice with starting bands and things like that and how to get better with your instrument, I always say it’s a lot more fun to practice and that you find people to do it with. Just playing in your room can be a little bit exhausting at times, but when you get other people then it’s a little bit more fun.
FPH: As far as legacy goes, when you think of certain bands, you associate various emotions with them. With Sunflower Bean, what do you want to be remembered as from your fans?
JC: I think we really want to be remembered as a band that keeps or kept rock music more interesting and exciting. In a time where you can come to a show and it’s people basically doing karaoke to their own music — which is okay. This is kind of the interesting anecdote — our manager was in the audience the other day at a festival we were playing and was standing next to a girl who was watching our set and she was saying to her mom or whoever, “I can’t believe all three of them are playing instruments together. How do they know what the next person is going to do?” The idea of playing together and that every show can be different in that these songs and feelings last longer than a minute is something that we really care about. That idea of following honesty and fearlessness and strength are things that are important to us.
Sunflower Bean performs tonight at White Oak Music Hall in the upstairs room.
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