Sunflower Bean have today announced a new album, Headful of Sugar, and revealed the opening track, “Who Put You Up to This?”. They’ve also laid out a spring tour schedule in support of the release.
Out May 6th on MOM + POP, the album marks the former Artists of the Month’s third full-length following 2018’s Twentytwo in Blue. Where the New York trio’s previous LP was centered on “the fleeting innocence of youth,” this new effort jumps forward into a “more dangerous… but also less suffocating” world of alienated adulthood.
“We wanted to write about the lived experience of late capitalism, how it feels everyday, the mundanity of not knowing where every construct is supposed to ultimately lead you,” said guitarist/vocalist Nick Kivlen in a press statement. “The message is in the title: This is about fast pleasures, the sugar of life, the joy that comes with letting go of everything you thought mattered.”
In searching for that joy, Sunflower Bean worked mostly alone at home, with drummer Olive Faber taking on the engineer role for the first time and producer Jake Portrait being the only outside voice. Portrait also earned songwriting credits on Headful of Sugar, alongside guest collaborators like Shamir and Suzy Shinn (the 27-year-old production wonder behind Weezer’s Van Weezer and OK Human). Pre-orders are available here, and you can find the cover art and tracklist ahead.
As for the album’s sound, it was previously teased with the fall single “Baby Don’t Cry.” Sunflower Bean have always been ahead of the curve with their retro-rock influences, and new cut “Who Put You Up to This?” demonstrates their grasp on ’70s psychedelic rock. A slinky groove sits in the pocket created by vocalist/bassist Julia Cumming while she sings of “a kiss-off to a former lover, maybe, but also a former self.” Check out the track below via its accompanying music video from director Josefine Cardoni.
Sunflower Bean will support Headful of Sugar on a spring tour. Tagged onto the end of a winter US and UK trek, the new dates launch April 29th in Albany, New York and stretch through at June 11th gig in Denver. See the full itinerary below, and snag tickets here when they go on sale Friday, February 11th at 10:00 a.m. local time. You can also sign up for pre-sale access via the band’s website.
Headful of Sugar Artwork:
Headful of Sugar Tracklist:
01. Who Put You Up to This?
02. In Flight
03. Otherside
04. Roll the Dice
05. Headful of Sugar
06. I Don’t Have Control Sometimes
07. Stand by Me
08. Post Love
09. Baby Don’t Cry
10. Beat the Odds
11. Feel Somebody
Sunflower Bean 2022 Tour Dates:
02/24 – South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Showcase Lounge *
02/25 – Portsmouth, NH @ 3S Artspace *
02/26 – Hamden, CT @ Space Ballroom *
03/04 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar ^
03/05 – Millersville, PA @ Phantom Power ^
03/06 – Pittsburg, PA @ Club Cafe ^
03/08 – Columbus, OH @ A&R Music Bar ^
03/10 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop ^
03/11 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar ^
03/12 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway Nightclub ^
03/14 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/15 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/16 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/17 – Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/19 – Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
03/20 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
03/21 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall
03/30 – Cambridge, UK @ Junction 2
03/31 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
04/01 – Manchester, UK @ Strange Waves Festival
04/02 – Glasgow, UK @ Stereo
04/04 – Newcastle upon Tyne, UK @ Newcastle University
04/05 – Nottingham, UK @ Rescue Rooms
04/06 – Birmingham, UK @ Mama Roux’s
04/07 – London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
04/09 – Bristol, UK @ Thekla
04/10 – Portsmouth, UK @ The Wedgewood Rooms
04/11 – Brighton, UK @ Concorde 2
04/29 – Albany, NY @ Empire Underground
04/30 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
05/05 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage
05/06 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes
05/12 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
05/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Foundry
05/19 – Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch
05/20 – Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
05/21 – Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line
05/22 – Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon
05/24 – Grand Rapids, MI @The Pyramid Scheme
05/25 – Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
05/26 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
06/01 – San Diego, CA @ Music Box SD
06/02 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
06/04 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
06/07 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
06/08 – Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
06/09 – Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
06/11 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre
* = w/ Empath
^ = w/ Barrie
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