Sunflower Bean announce new album ‘Mortal Primetime’ with gritty single ‘Champagne Taste’
Sunflower Bean have shared details of a new album called ‘Mortal Primetime’. Check out the lead single ‘Champagne Taste’ below.
The new record marks the fourth studio album from the rock group and the long-awaited follow-up to their ‘Headful Of Sugar’ album, which arrived three years ago.
According to the band, the upcoming album – which is their first to be self-produced – comes as the members have reached a new chapter together, reuniting after having embarked on separate projects and overcoming personal challenges.
At its core, they explain, is a renewed sense of purpose after nearly losing everything they built together and worked for.
“You get to decide what your prime is, and you fight for it,” said bassist and vocalist Julia Cumming, recalling the inspiration at the core of the LP. “This is ours, and that can’t be taken away by circumstance. We can’t take it away from each other. This moment, where we are now, is what we’ve always fought for.”
Today (January 28), the band celebrate the album announcement by sharing the lead single and first preview of the record, the fuzz-drenched song ‘Champagne Taste’.
Featuring gritty guitar riffs and an intense vocal line inspired by punk icon Iggy Pop, the song makes a nod to the group’s long-time alias when performing secret shows to test out new material and captures the spirit of reckless determination.
“This song came after a period that felt like rock bottom for the band. It is about feeling beaten down but still driving forward, to keep faith, to grow and to continue to create on our own terms, our Mortal Primetime,” the group said of the single.
Check out the track above, alongside a music video directed by Isaac Roberts.
As for the album as a whole, the underlying sound captured by Sunflower Bean is one inspired by alternative rock and dreamy psychedelia, as well as an “arena-sized ambition to create a sound that’s undeniably theirs”.
Visit here to pre-order and pre-save the upcoming album.
The announcement of the new record comes as Sunflower Bean are currently gearing up to hit the road across the UK and Europe next month. The dates come as a support slot for Cage The Elephant, and kick off on February 13 with an opening slot at the O2 Academy in Glasgow. Visit here for remaining tickets.
Following the tour wrapping up in Paris on February 26, Sunflower Bean will head back to the UK for a one-off headline slot at The George Tavern in London, before heading over to the US for a full North American tour. Visit here for remaining US tickets.
In other Sunflower Bean news, last year the group announced the standalone single ‘Shake’ and spoke to NME about the energy of the band.
“We’re playing with how inspired we can be by the rawness of nature with the fact that we’re city people and a New York City band, and how we can interpret that into and respect the industrial-ness of the more metal or rock ideas,” Cumming explained. “You start playing with the silliness of the word ‘rock’ and how far you can take that and what it means to you.”
The post Sunflower Bean announce new album ‘Mortal Primetime’ with gritty single ‘Champagne Taste’ appeared first on NME.
Liberty Dunworth
NME
