Sunflower Bean | photo by Hollie Fernando | courtesy of artist
Sunflower Bean turns the “Crisis Fest” of 2017 into a charged anthem for their fellow youths
It’s been a year to say the least, and Sunflower Bean is quite aware. Though the youthful classic rock trio had planned on taking some time off after their debut full length, Human Ceremony, the then twenty-year-olds found themselves right back in the studio, where they turned their frustrations and observations from 2017’s political climate into a more danceable, productive result. Two and a half years later (hint, hint: each member will be twenty-two) Sunflower Bean is releasing their sophomore record, Twentytwo in Blue, on March 23rd via Mom + Pop.
In anticipation of this new album, the band has shared their very aptly-titled single, “Crisis Fest.” Specifically referencing this past year’s “extremely alarming, traumatic, and politically volatile” nature, “Crisis Fest” is a charged battle cry to their fellow youngins. As lead singer and bassist, Julia Cumming, twists the go-to paternal phrase by exclaiming, “If you hold us back, you know that we can shout / We brought you into this place, you know we can take you out,” it seems that she should be holding a megaphone, fist raised in the air as she leads us twenty-somethings into battle.
Offering further meaning behind the track, Sunflower Bean states:
“While writing this album, we often reflected back on the people we met while on tour. We felt a strong kinship with the audiences that came to see us all over the country, and we wanted to write a song for them – something to capture the anxieties of an uncertain future. ‘Crisis Fest’ is less about politics and more about the power of us, the young people in this country.”
Sunflower Bean is playing Everybody Hits on January 26th with support from Suburban Living. Get your tickets over at the XPN Concert Calendar, and listen to “Crisis Fest” below.