Julia Cumming Strikes a Chord
The writing was on the wall, early and loudly, for Julia Cumming. “My first memory is of wanting to be in a band; I was four years old,” the 26-year-old recalls with a laugh. However, she also had one precocious critique about all the classic rock hits her parents were playing around their New York City apartment. “I would ask my mom, ‘Why are they always singing about girls?’ Because I wanted to sing along, but I wanted to change up the topics.”
Cumming’s younger self would be proud of where she has landed. Today, she is the vocalist and bassist for Sunflower Bean, a psychedelic- and pop-rock trio based in the city she was raised in. Their dichotomy of heavy, sludgy rhythms and sweeter, choral vocals—plus their lyrics about personal autonomy, societal rebellion, and all manner of things decidedly not about girls—has scored them national tours and slots at major festivals, not to mention there’s been enthusiastic reception of their several EPs and albums. Cumming’s glamorous resume extends to other stages, too; she’s walked high fashion runways and anchored campaigns for global luxury houses. And she’s a passionate community organizer who has curated events to mobilize young activists on progressive causes, too.
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Growing up in the East Village as the only child of two musically-inclined parents, Cumming cut her teeth at open mic nights around the neighborhood. She also practiced singing with her dad. “I would just hear him harmonize with stuff all the time, and I just thought it was the most beautiful thing,” Cumming tells ELLE by phone on a drizzly spring evening. “I just started trying to do it, and that’s still the method that I use today. I’ve always tried to bring some of that sweetness to stuff that I write; even when I’m writing heavier stuff, I feel like those bits of my dad’s taste have stayed with me.”
As a teenager, Cumming found a place in her first band, a psychedelic acoustic girl group called Supercute! The duo received local attention largely due to their novelty, then sustained it by showing their already considerable musical chops. “We were trying to live this thing of, like, girls can make music and art. We were fighting for kids making art, which is just a really odd but really cool thing.”
Supercute! dissolved after traveling to London to record an album that was sadly never released. It’s an experience that Cumming looks back on fondly, but pragmatically. “We got in some bad deals, and we didn’t know exactly how to navigate everything. Who does? But I definitely learned a lot from that experience that I took into Sunflower Bean and try to share with other people starting out in music, especially other girls, to help them protect themselves in this industry.”
At age 17, Cumming—still in high school, and already a music biz veteran—started her next band, and it was for keeps. Bonded by their mutual love of hard rock riffs and New Wave pop gloss, Sunflower Bean is a trio from the gritty city scene. They released their first album, Human Ceremony, in 2016. This spring, Sunflower Bean released their third record, Headful of Sugar. Balancing the group’s serrated rock riffs with fresh, dance-friendly pulses, the album’s intention is all about community and the grand communal experiences music fans have yearned for in these tumultuous past few years. “We wanted to make a record that felt very tangible and is meant to be experienced live. During the pandemic, everything around us became about convenience and easy entertainment, so we’re hoping that this record stands as something that feels real,” says Cumming. “The songs have a lot of yearning for change to break free, to be in the world.”
Music has led to yet another passion for Cumming: the runway. After Sunflower Bean sparked attention in fashion circles, its five-foot-11 vocalist found herself fielding opportunities with top fashion houses—and, quickly, landing national campaigns, where she received a quick education on the art of couture. “I began learning a lot more about modeling as an art form,” she says. “I had that chance because I was on [campaign] teams I loved so much and that were so elevated.” Now her personal style, fittingly, reflects her two worlds, infused with the rebellious spirit of Valentino. “I’m very inspired by the city and trying to keep it chic and also wearable. When the band started, I would always wear these long black velvet ’90s dresses, and I feel like I’m back to black in a way now. Like the [new] album, it’s this sweet essence, but dark execution.”
Cumming also founded Anger Can Be Power, an activism project that hosts events to boost young activists and women running for political office. “I tried to just work with what I thought I could bring to the table, which was my experience with live shows. I thought if I could get the girls and the people that come to our events, then have some different conversations, then maybe there’s a chance that activism could be a bigger part of their lives.”
For now, Cumming says her goals are simple. “Really, I just want to make 10 more albums,” she says. “And I want to grow and work and evolve. The last thing I want to do is stay the same or stay in one lane. I just want the freedom to move through life and give what I can give.”
Art Direction by Mandi Hayes; DP by Kyrre Kristoffersen, Styling by Cassie Anderson; Styling Assistance by Laynie Rouch; Makeup by Allie Smith; Hair by Blake Erik; Prop Styling by Ellen Kozartis; Production by Hannah Miller; Special thanks to Turks Inn
