SUNFLOWER BEAN – RESIDENT, BRIGHTON 4.5.25
Hailing from New York, three piece rock band Sunflower Bean have hit the UK for a short run of in-store gigs to promote their fourth Album ‘Mortal Primetime’. It was released a week ago on Friday 25th April and has landed in the official top ten Independent Record Chart.
Tonight’s show originally was set to be the first of the run, but had to be rescheduled, so is now the final night of the UK tour before the band head back to the States for a huge 25 date tour.
It has been a while since Sunflower Bean have come to Brighton, the last time being at the Komedia back in 2022 (Review HERE), one gig I was lucky enough to pick up a ticket for, I can’t believe it has been 3 years. I must admit I was getting worried Brighton was going to get missed on this short run of dates as it initially seemed to be a late addition, but what better time for the band to visit, the city is alive and buzzing with the Bank Holiday joy, good weather and Brighton & Hove Albion playing at home, I am hoping they won’t leave it so long to visit in the future.
What with Sunday opening hours, we are allowed into Resident music at 6:20pm to secure our viewing positions and at 6:45pm the band came out to a big cheer. Vocalist and bassist Julia Cumming opened the evening by informing us of the slightly different set up “We are sunflower Bean from New York, we’ve played a lot of shows in our time, but this is new experience, I’ve never played on top of an amp for an entire show, I’ve done it a few times for fun, but who knows this may be fun”. This is definitely a first for me at Resident, with both drummer Olive Faber and guitarist Nick Kilvlen both positioned at the front of the shop counter, Julia standing centrally on a large Amp speaker behind the counter with her head almost touching the ceiling.
The set started with guitar heavy ‘Champagne Taste’ also the opening track on the album, an excellent start to proceedings, with great crashing drums from Olive throughout.
“I’m getting into this, I feel like an evil go-go dancer” Julia commented whilst on top of her amp. “You look like a crazy record store clerk” added Nick, causing a ripple of laughter through the crowd. Julia continued “Thank you to the record label Lucky Number and also to Resident for putting on this cool show on, it’s’ very rock and roll to put someone on an amp like this and say the show must go on, not every record store would do that, so thank you for supporting independent music stores and music”.
Next came another track from the new album, called ‘Nothing Romantic’, a slightly calmer number. Julia’s vocals are soft and beautiful throughout, with a fine guitar solo from Nick in the later part of the song before ending solely with Julia’s vocals to a piano backing track, magical stuff, spine tingling.
That heavier, rock grunge guitar vibe was back for ‘Shake’, the lead track from their 2024 EP of the same name. Nick was more prevalent on the vocals on this one, although there were some issues with his microphone volume being too quiet to start with. It was a good meaty song; a tune I feel is quite the connection bridge taking the band from their third album ‘Headful Of Sugar’ to their newer sound of ‘Mortal Primetime’.
At this point tour manager Gareth came over to help retune Julia’s guitar at the pedals located on the shop counter as she couldn’t get down to them. We then went back to the new album with ‘There’s A Part I Can’t Get Back’, a slower song with Julia’s vocals sometimes sounding quite country in delivery, a big applause followed. I think the band felt very settled into the limited movement vibe of their surroundings by this point.
Julia said the next song was her “favourite from the album, sometimes I channel Michael Stipe, sometimes it’s Sting, but this time it’s going to be Elvis Costello, that’s who I feel like when I’m playing it”. The song was ‘Look What You’ve Done To Me’. The vibe on this one most definitely a departure from their usual sound, Julia’s vocal delivery almost like a monologue storytelling, but in a playful way, the piano backing track was back for this one too, Olive’s drums far were calmer and measured and Nick’s guitar melodies different, but melding perfectly with Julia’s vocal delivery, it was incredibly enjoyable to hear.
Post song Julia exclaimed, perhaps thinking out aloud, “I’m enjoying having this wall behind me, it’s quite dramatic, I might throw myself behind it”, she then explained “Sorry I have this stream of consciousness going on today”.
Two more from the new album followed, the gentle ‘Take Out Your Insides’ and the album closer ‘Sunshine’ which Julia dedicated to a baby that was out in the audience (Yes, a new born baby was in attendance!). Julia commented “how cool it was”, and she hopes that when she has a baby she will take them to a show and be as cool as this baby, who seems so cool and not bothered at all about it. ‘Sunshine’ took us back to the soaring guitar sound from Nick.
The final and bonus song of the evening was ‘Somebody Call A Doctor’ which was the first track on their 2015 ‘Show Me Your Seven Secrets’ EP.
Whilst Nick warmed up his guitar after swapping over his Fender Stratocaster, Julia thanked the crowd “for supporting independent music, independent labels and coming to the store to rock out and inspire the band”. Then we were away into the song, an awesome building guitar heavy track, drums building momentum, fleeting vocals at the start, but descending into a gorgeous frantic finale at which point Julia stepped off her amp kneeling behind Nick on the counter while full on psych rocking out. An awesome end to the set, a set I dearly would have loved to have been longer, but 35 minutes and 8 songs was going to have to be our fill before the signing session.
This set and new album are quite different from my previous live experience with the band and their last album. The new album shows a maturing and evolution of the band, bringing those guitars down slightly, but now delivering a more personal and powerful punch. I think the constrained setting today added to the more stripped back feel to the set, but they delivered in buckets and I enjoyed every second of it. The band happily signed albums and did photos with the long line afterwards, including my whole pile of records.
The band have said they will be back in Autumn, touring late October into early November and Brighton will be a date, I for one will one hundred percent be there. Grab yourself their album before they sell out.
Sunflower Bean:
Julia Cumming – bass, lead vocals
Nick Kivlen – guitars, vocals
Olive Faber – drums
Sunflower Bean setlist:
‘Champagne Taste’ (from 2025 ‘Mortal Primetime’ album)
‘Nothing Romantic’ (from 2025 ‘Mortal Primetime’ album)
‘Shake’ (from 2024 ‘Shake’ EP)
‘There’s A Part I Can’t Get Back’ (from 2025 ‘Mortal Primetime’ album)
‘Look What You’ve Done To Me’ (from 2025 ‘Mortal Primetime’ album)
‘Take Out Your Insides’ (from 2025 ‘Mortal Primetime’ album)
‘Sunshine’ (from 2025 ‘Mortal Primetime’ album)
‘Somebody Call A Doctor’ (from 2015 ‘Show Me Your Seven Secrets’ EP)
