Sunflower Bean’s Julia Cumming has stepped in to play bass for Wolf Alice as they support Olivia Rodrigo on her expansive ‘Unraveled Tour’. The collaboration comes as the band navigates a temporary lineup change during their high-profile support run.
Julia Cumming and Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell. CREDIT: Joshua Applegate/Getty and Andy Ford for NME
The support slot coincides with Rodrigo’s 65-date tour celebrating her third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love, the follow-up to her breakout 2021 debut, Sour. Following initial dates in Connecticut, the tour has moved through Pennsylvania, Washington DC, and North Carolina.
For the duration of these dates, Wolf Alice bassist Theo Ellis is taking a hiatus from the road to support his partner as they welcome a new baby. In his absence, Sunflower Bean frontwoman Julia Cumming has seamlessly stepped into the role.
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Cumming announced her involvement last week, sharing a lighthearted post of herself and Wolf Alice vocalist Ellie Rowsell riding scooters. “Theo and his family are going through some big personal life changes and I couldn’t be more honoured to be asked to fill in,” she noted, expressing her excitement for the month-long commitment.
Following the band's performance in Charlotte, North Carolina, Cumming shared footage of herself performing ‘Play The Greatest Hits’. She praised Ellis as one of the most engaging bass players in rock, adding, “My life is cool.”
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This collaboration builds on a pre-existing creative relationship, as Cumming previously contributed to the band’s The Clearing: B Sides project, including a cover of The Roches’ ‘Hammond Song’. Wolf Alice’s tour with Rodrigo continues through October with stops in Chicago, Boston, Montreal, Toronto, and Columbus.