Julia Cumming Steps In on Bass for Wolf Alice on Olivia Rodrigo's Tour
Julia Cumming, singer and bassist of New York band Sunflower Bean, is temporarily covering bass for Wolf Alice's Theo Ellis, joining the band as they open for Olivia Rodrigo on her 65-date "Unraveled Tour." According to NME, Ellis is stepping away from the tour as he and his partner are expecting a new baby, with Cumming taking over bass duties for most of the remaining opening sets.
Where the tour stands
Rodrigo's Unraveled Tour supports her third album, You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love, following up on her 2021 debut Sour. The tour kicked off with two nights in Connecticut last month and has since passed through Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and North Carolina, with Wolf Alice opening throughout.
Wolf Alice's opening slot continues in Chicago on Monday, October 12, with the rest of the month's dates including Boston, Montreal, Toronto, and Columbus.
How Cumming joined
Cumming announced the news on Instagram last week, posting a photo riding a scooter alongside Wolf Alice singer Ellie Rowsell. She said she was excited to be with the band for "the month of October," and said Ellis's family was "going through a major life change," adding that she felt honored to be asked to step in. She also posted a video naming "White Horses" from The Clearing as one of her favorite songs. After the opening show in Charlotte, North Carolina, she shared a clip of herself performing "Play The Greatest Hits" live, calling it "quickly becoming one of my favorite moments in the whole set."
A prior collaboration
Cumming has worked with Wolf Alice before: on the B-sides collection The Clearing: B Sides, the two acts teamed up for a cover of The Roches' "Hammond Song." That collection also features the piano-led "Gospel Oak" and the folk-leaning "Hit The Sky."
The Clearing is Wolf Alice's second UK number-one album, earning the band a fourth consecutive Mercury Prize nomination (a record) and a BRIT Award. The band's homecoming show at London's Finsbury Park received a five-star review from NME. Ellis has told NME the album "was a challenge to make, and some parts are quite tricky to play live."
Cumming herself released her debut solo album, Julia, this past April, led by singles "My Life" and "Please Let Me Remember This."