Nick Kivlen, the guitarist of acclaimed New York indie-rock band Sunflower Bean, has released his first solo album, Addicted to the Sunset, which he self-released on 7 July. The record marks a notable creative step for a musician who has spent more than a decade largely yielding the spotlight to bandmate and lead singer Julia Cumming, and it fits the long tradition of rock sidemen making unexpected solo detours during downtime.

Kivlen, 31, wrote and recorded the mellow, psychedelic album almost entirely on his own after relocating from New York to Los Angeles, having grown jaded with the city's late-night culture and keen to broaden his musical horizons. He built the 10 tracks from homemade percussion — sticks, rocks, rice, pots and pans — drenched in reverb, borrowing a neighbour's drum kit and recording at Cumming's soundproofed home to finish the drums. He cites Jimi Hendrix, Phil Spector, the Beach Boys and one-man-band acts such as Tame Impala, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Mac DeMarco as influences, with lyrics steeped in nostalgia for early adulthood. Sunflower Bean, meanwhile, are taking a planned year off, with Cumming also releasing her own solo debut this spring.