After dropping the killer “Baby Don’t Cry” last October, Sunflower Bean have officially announced their third studio album, Headful Of Sugar. Due out May 6th, the album sees Julia Cumming, Nick Kivlen, and Olivia Faber sardonically tackling the often ridiculous world America has become.
“Tomorrow is not promised, no tour is promised, no popularity is promised, no health or money is promised,” Cumming said in a statement. “Why not make what you want to make on your own terms? Why not make a record that makes you want to dance? Why not make a record that makes you want to scream?”
Surely we can get behind that sentiment. On the lead single, “Who Put You Up To This?,” Cumming grows deeper into the role of the indie pop vixen, morphing with the mood of each of the band’s twists and turns. Nick Kivlen’s guitar solo stands out and is a depart from the band’s early days, where they rested their laurels (delightfully) on jangly C-86 guitars. Lyrically, the song dissects anxiety, identity and self-actualization.
“Questioning your life is the first step to taking the agency to change it,” the band says of the song. “Sometimes you have to let go of who you have been so that you can become who you want to be. ”
The video paints Cumming as a femme fatale of sorts, in the midst of a money heist gone awry. She narrowly escapes, only for us to witness a cliffhanging ending to the clip that seems destined to continue in the lead up to the album release.
Watch the video for “Who Put You Up To This?” above. Check out the Headful Of Sugar album artwork and tracklist below and Sunflower Bean’s tour dates here.
1. “Who Put You Up To This?”
2. “In Flight”
3. “Otherside”
4. “Roll The Dice”
5. “Headful Of Sugar”
6. “I Don’t Have Control Sometimes”
7. “Stand By Me”
8. “Post Love”
9. “Baby Don’t Cry”
10. “Beat The Odds”
11. “Feel Somebody”
Headful Of Sugar is out 5/6 via Mom+Pop. Pre-order it here.