• Interviews

• All
• Music
• Cinema
• TV
• Comic Books

Apr 25, 2025 Web Exclusive By Andy Von Pip Photography by Anna Nazarova

Mortal Primetime, the fourth album from Sunflower Bean, very nearly didn’t happen. In the years following their previous release, 2022’s Headful of Sugar, the band’s future hung in the balance. Julia Cumming (vocals, bass), Nick Kivlen (guitar, vocals), and Olive Faber (drums) had scattered geographically and thrown themselves into other creative pursuits. During that time, they also weathered personal upheavals—grief, growth, and everything in between.

Reflecting on that uncertain period, Julia Cumming says, “I think in a lot of ways it really would have been much harder to walk away. We’re working musicians, we have to work and play shows to survive. So we were still playing shows all through these periods we’re talking about. I don’t think anyone wanted it to end, but there was definitely a need for everyone to develop personally. That comes from us starting this band when we were still technically teenagers. There are some things you need to figure out on your own, and that’s the energy and space we’ve been trying to give each other these past few years.”

Despite the distance and individual paths taken, Mortal Primetime—their first self-produced record—marks a powerful return. It’s an album born from disconnection, but defined by resilience, and it captures the sound of a band rediscovering its core just when it mattered most.

“Being together, playing in a room together, writing together—and when you get it right—that is what we’re all fighting for,” Cumming reflects. “So the fact that we had the chance to do it and make this album, none of us take that for granted. This moment, where we are now, is what we’ve always fought for.”

Kivlen nods in agreement. “Even when we were hitting a lot of roadblocks—whether it was career stuff or personal—or we were just in the studio and could not figure out what to do, we were always still able to play together and have this chemistry. In my opinion, we are a really amazing live band. And we’ve built this band together for the last 10 years—it’s really not something you want to just give up on.”

Mortal Primetime’s album title perfectly captures this spirit: a fusion of urgency and celebration, arriving at a crossroads and deliberately choosing to embrace what truly matters.

“Your interpretation isn’t far off,” Cumming responds thoughtfully. “The context of what created this album obviously involves defiance. We’re all big believers in creating things for yourself. We weren’t born into showbiz families and we had to figure out how to do all of this, which requires a healthy dose of delusion—like ‘I’m writing this song, I’m going on this tour, I’m gonna make this happen.’ What it means to me is being able to create your prime work through sheer willpower.”

“To me,” Kivlen elaborates, “it’s also about realizing that things end and we’re fragile. Life is fragile. In the prime of your life, you’re still this vulnerable person floating through the universe, and nothing’s guaranteed. The fact that everything is difficult and that life is fleeting is exactly what makes it worth doing.”

When asked how approaching their 30s has shifted their perspective on their careers, and how they envision the future, Kivlen looks thoughtful before responding.

“The world is so unpredictable, especially with everything going on in the U.S. right now. It’s hard to even imagine what the next six months will look like,” he admits. “As I’ve entered my late 20s, I’ve realized that there really isn’t a clear definition of adulthood. It’s whatever you make of it. And I’m proud of the fact that, in the end, I’ve been able to create a lot of the art I’ve always wanted to make.”

There’s an undercurrent of genuine contentment as he continues, “Sure, I’m not as successful or financially secure as some might be in other fields, but when I look back on my life, what I’ve achieved, what matters most to me—is the music. When I’m making demos, even just messing around on a computer, I feel so removed from everything—it may sound cheesy but it’s like a moment where I’m outside of the universe. That feeling is one of the most important parts of my life, and I’m very grateful that for almost my entire 20s, I’ve had the privilege of making music my primary work.”

Cumming picks up the thread: “I really hope to keep doing this for as long as I can. Your question also reminds me of something we get asked sometimes, like, ‘What advice would you give to young artists thinking about a career in music?’ And it makes me think about how I grew up.”

She settles back, recalling her formative experiences. “I was raised in the East Village in New York, and my dad was really into music. He loved playing bass, and to stay connected to music, he’d offer to play for local songwriters he admired. Being around that, I was exposed to people who lived as artists, the big reward was the life itself.

“I’m grateful for that because it helped me shape my idea of what I wanted my life to look like. I feel really lucky to have seen that from a young age. It gave me a sense of what I could live with—things like, ‘Okay I need a house, I need to be able to eat, but I also need to be around friends and family who inspire me to make work.’

“And that’s what I hope will always be true, even as I look to the future. I’m not chasing fame, but I am chasing making more records and writing music. Having that sense of what truly matters helps me stay grounded, especially when the career gets tough. If you get discouraged by having less, then maybe this isn’t the career for you. It’s about finding ways to connect with the work, even in those tough moments.”

Both Kivlen and Cumming have separately relocated from New York in recent years, a shift that has prompted reflection on what it means for the band—both personally and artistically.

“I thought about moving for a long time, pretty much since the end of the pandemic,” Kivlen explains. “For about two years, I was seriously considering it. When everything fell into place, it just felt like the right time to leave. And honestly, it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I love Los Angeles so much.”

His face lights up as he describes his new home. “It has that same magical energy as cities like New York, Paris, or London—a city full of endless things to discover and explore. It’s given me space to grow, meet new people, and expand creatively. The cheaper rent and having more room have been huge benefits, but beyond that, it’s been rejuvenating. It hasn’t solved all my problems, but it’s made me feel like I can breathe again.”

When asked about the band’s strong identification with New York, Kivlen considers the question carefully. “As for being synonymous with New York, when you spend the first 27 years of your life in one place, that’s where you develop. It’s not like we moved to LA and became entirely different people, or assimilated to the culture. LA is filled with all kinds of people, and I haven’t experienced much of the negative side of it that people talk about. Like most cities, it’s what you make of it. I still feel like a New Yorker, but in a big, unfamiliar world.”

“Well, I mean, I’m from the city itself—Nick and Olive are from Long Island, so I’ll affectionately snob on them for that,” laughs Cumming. “We’re pretty much doing the bi-coastal thing because we have to be in New York for a week or more out of every month anyway, just because there’s so much stuff for us to do there. So, I’m not really claiming any place as home just yet. Still, I feel like I’m a New Yorker who’s always been on the go, and now I’m just on the go more.”

But places change, and for Kivlen, the New York and Brooklyn scenes they immersed themselves in during their early days are long gone.

“New York and Brooklyn formed the band, reared us, and inspired us when we were teenagers,” he reflects. “But that New York doesn’t exist now. It’s erased at this point—the East Village, Williamsburg, Bushwick…they weren’t really for me anymore, so leaving wasn’t that hard.”

What’s always been impressive about Sunflower Bean isn’t just their musicality or their knack for making deeply personal themes feel universal, it’s their ability to effortlessly traverse genres which has meant they never really boxed themselves into an artistic corner. Mortal Primetime is no different—an impressive and diverse collection of songs, full of melody and momentum. It manages to sound cohesive and yet wildly electric all at once.

The band have described the album as “Belle and Sebastian meets Alice in Chains,” but there’s so much more going on. The beautiful “Nothing Romantic” reinvents the rock power ballad; “Take Out Your Insides” has a timeless, almost Joni Mitchell quality; while “Sunshine” leans into classic, fuzzy shoegaze, recalling the dreamy haze of Lush or Ride.

“What happens with us a lot when we’re working,” Cumming explains, “is that we really focus on the song itself. It kind of becomes its own universe. Then when we’re producing, we’re thinking about what the song needs, not necessarily what genre it fits into. If you take something like ‘Champagne Taste’ or ‘Sunshine’—what I love about both of those songs is the dissonance. There’s this really interesting balance. Like, if you moved your finger just two centimeters, the whole thing would sound sharp. But it’s that delicate tension that makes it compelling.”

“As a listener, you might think ‘Champagne Taste’ sounds alternative, and ‘Sunshine’ sounds a bit My Bloody Valentine,” she continues, “but for us, it’s all part of the same conversation. I think that sometimes gets lost in translation. But when we made this record, we recorded everything in about two weeks. We were playing live—we did overdubs, but no cutting and pasting, no flying sections from one take to another. Everything was played in full.”

Cumming says they also limited themselves to a very small palette of instruments: “We used the same drum kit, the same mics, the same few guitars on everything, so it all felt like part of one sonic world. That was intentional. Even if a song sounded sweeter, it was still dealing with themes that had the same depth as the rest of the record.”

For the first time in their career, the band chose to self-produce an album—and they describe the decision to record it live as “the most subversive thing [they] could do.” It wasn’t about rebellion, but about authenticity: capturing the chemistry that’s defined their sound for over a decade.

“Well, you know, bands are becoming rarer and rarer,” Kivlen says. “There’s more of a tradition of bands in the UK, but in America, most contemporary artists are solo artists who play with a band—but the members are touring members. In America you’re very atomized—you’re the rugged individual, you know? You’re supposed to be out there alone, and capitalism separates us all and makes us all compete with each other.”

What sets them apart, he explains, is the fact that they’ve grown up together—not just musically, but personally. “We are a band. We’re three people who’ve been playing together for over 10 years. We came from a local scene, a local community, and we’ve got older together. That’s probably one of the most unique things about us. It harkens back to the tradition of folk music and rock music in America—and pop music in the 20th century—where it’s about the chemistry and the performances you do when you’re together.”

For this album, they wanted to capture that dynamic as purely as possible.

It’s been quite a journey. From almost walking away, to crafting an album that fizzes with raw emotion, soaring melodies, and lyrical dexterity. It’s their most mature release to date, a snapshot of a band who’ve come through a dark period sounding refreshed, reconnected, and full of hope for what’s ahead.

“I’m proud of our past achievements,” says Kivlen. “But there were definitely times I remember feeling frustrated—hitting these roadblocks where I just didn’t have the skills or experience yet. I wasn’t a good enough lyricist to fully articulate the things I wanted to say. That’s also part of what Mortal Primetime is about. The band was kind of on the verge of breaking up, or at least it felt that way. But at the same time, we were finally arriving at our prime—as songwriters and as musicians.”

Cumming agrees, highlighting “Please Rewind” as a clear sign they were ready to dig deeper, emotionally. ”Nick wrote that song while back. I remember when he played it for me, Olive, and our manager—it felt like he was tapping into a part of his songwriting we’d always hoped he’d reach. But back then, it didn’t quite fit with what we were working on. So I think there’s something about this record that’s also about emotional readiness.”

That sense of readiness threads through the album. “When I think back to Human Ceremony and the early stuff, I’m proud of our creativity and how much fun we were having,” Cumming says. “But when I hear my voice now, I can feel how much it’s evolved. When you’re young, you think you’re brave just because you’re getting on stage—but there were things I wasn’t ready to sing about when I was 19 or 20. As you move through time, you start to say, ‘Okay, I am an artist. And if I feel ready to say this—even if it scares me—then that’s what I’m here to do.’ That’s what I’ve been preparing for: making something that might really connect with people in a deeper way.”

And now, after emerging from the darkness and confusion, the band are looking ahead to a bright future with a renewed sense of purpose and vigour, and a sense that this really is their primetime.

“My dream now,” says Cumming, “is that we can move on from this place where we’ve each had the space to grow individually—and come back together, kind of like Sonic Youth using time and experience to make records that feel momentous, that feel like they mean something. We’ve always fought to keep this band as our united voice, and now I think we all understand what it really means to us. That gives us the freedom to keep going—hopefully building a discography that pushes back against the corporate, boring homogeny we’ve been resisting since the very beginning.”

www.sunflowerbeanband.com

Photo Credits:

Photographer - Anna Nazarova
Stylist - Amber Simiriglia
MUA - Andrew D’Angelo

Subscribe to Under the Radar’s print magazine.

Support Under the Radar on Patreon.