Eliot Sumner

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Coco Sumner)

Eliot Sumner
Sumner performing in 2015
Sumner performing in 2015
Background information
Born (1990-07-30) 30 July 1990 (age 33)
Pisa, Tuscany, Italy
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • music producer
  • actor
Years active2010–present
Labels

Eliot Paulina Sumner (born 30 July 1990) is an English singer, songwriter and actor.

They began their music career at a young age and signed a record deal with Island Records at 17. Under the band name I Blame Coco, they released their debut album The Constant in 2010, featuring a mix of pop, electronic, ska, and punk elements. Sumner's solo career started in 2014, releasing music under their birth name. They have also made acting appearances in films and TV shows, including The Gentlemen and No Time to Die. Sumner is the child of musician Sting and actress Trudie Styler. They have received a nomination for Best Newcomer at the Virgin Media Music Awards in 2010.

Career[edit]

I Blame Coco[edit]

Sumner began writing songs at the age of 15,[1] and signed a multi-record deal with Island Records at age 17.[2][3] They spent six months writing and recording a debut album, The Constant (2010), in Sweden with producer Klas Åhlund,[1] keyboardist Emlyn Maillard, and multi-instrumentalist and producer Al Shux under the band name I Blame Coco. The album included elements of pop music, electronic music, ska, and punk. The first single, "Caesar", featured Swedish pop singer Robyn.[4] The next single, "Self Machine", was released in July 2010.[5]

According to Christian Wåhlberg, Sumner's manager, Åhlund, had been keen to work with Sumner because they saw the "punk rocker" in them.[6] Wåhlberg said that the electropop sound of the album was influenced by Darcus Beese, president of Island Records, and that if Sumner had signed to a different record label, the music would have been different.[6]

Solo career[edit]

Sumner in 2015

In 2014, Sumner said their music would be released under their birth name, Eliot Sumner. Later that year, they released the EP Information, and in 2016 the full album Information appeared. Sumner's contributions to other musicians' albums include vocals for the song "End of the Road" by Sway and the single "Splash" by Sub Focus.[7] They sang a cover version of the Radiohead song "Creep" with Clint Mansell for the soundtrack to the movie Filth (2013).

Acting career[edit]

Sumner appeared briefly in the films Me Without You (2001) and Stardust (2007). They made their adult acting debut in Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen in 2020. They appeared in the James Bond film No Time to Die (2020).[8] In December 2021, Sumner was cast in Showtime's drama series Ripley in a recurring role.[9] They played a hiker in the thriller, Infinite Storm, appearing before Naomi Watts' character begins hiking to the summit of Mt. Washington.

Personal life[edit]

Eliot Paulina Sumner is the child of musician Sting (Gordon Sumner) and actress Trudie Styler.[10] Sumner was born in Pisa, Italy, grew up in Wiltshire, England,[4] and was educated at Bryanston School and then the Fine Arts College in London.[11]

They grew up at Lake House, the family estate near Stonehenge. Eliot has two brothers (Jake and Giacomo), a sister (Mickey), an older half-brother (Joe), and a half-sister (Kate). Their family gave Sumner the nickname "Coco.” Drawn to the outdoors, Sumner spent a lot of time alone in the woods. Their family gave Eliot their first guitar at age four or five. They wrote their first song at age 13 and signed a record deal four years later. After recording and touring with I Blame Coco, they lived alone in a cottage in the Lake District of England and became interested in house music. Sumner also works as a DJ in European dance clubs under the moniker "Vaal.”[12]

Sumner's sense of smell was lost after a brain injury in 2009.[10] In December 2015, Sumner said that they did not believe in gender labels and did not identify with a particular gender.[13] They use gender-neutral pronouns.[8]

Awards and honours[edit]

  • I Blame Coco was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Virgin Media Music Awards in 2010.

Discography[edit]

Studio albums[edit]

Title Album details Peak chart positions
UK AUT
[14]
BEL
(VL)

[15]
BEL
(WA)

[16]
FRA
[17]
GER POL
[18]
SWI
[19]
The Constant
(as I Blame Coco)
86 58 82 88 41 31 36 72
Information
  • Released: 22 January 2016
  • Label: Island
  • Formats: CD, digital download
99
Nosferatu
(as Vaal)
  • Released: 25 January 2019
  • Label: Pale Blue Dot
  • Formats: Vinyl

Singles[edit]

As lead artist[edit]

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK BEL
(VL)

[15]
BEL
(WA)

[16]
GER
"Caesar" (featuring Robyn) 2010 The Constant
"Selfmachine" 64 53 93 56
"Quicker" 91
"In Spirit Golden"
"Turn Your Back on Love" 2011
"Information" 2014 Information
"I Followed You Home"
"Dead Arms & Dead Legs" 2015
"After Dark"
"Firewood"
"Species"

As featured artist[edit]

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK UK
Dance
"Animal" (with Miike Snow) 2009 98 Miike Snow
"Splash" (with Sub Focus) 2010 41 7 Sub Focus

Other: Remixes[edit]

  • Eliot Sumner – “After Dark (Mr Tophat's Alterned 303 Remix)”
  • Eliot Sumner – “After Dark (Dixon Remix)”
  • Eliot Sumner – “Firewood (Lakker Remix)”

Music videos[edit]

Year Title Director
2010 "Caesar" Hope Audikana[20]
"Only Love Can Break Your Heart" Tom & Tabitha[21]
"Splash" Nick Frew[22]
"Self Machine" Alex Smith[23]
"Quicker" China Moo-Young[24]
"In Spirit Golden" Hope Audikana[25]
2014 "Information" Eliot Lee Hazel[26]
2015 "Dead Arms & Dead Legs" tech wizards, Flat-E[27]
"After Dark"
"Firewood"
"Species"
"I Followed You Home"

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "About". I Blame Coco. Archived from the original on 25 March 2010. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  2. ^ McCormick, Neil (1 February 2010). "Coco Sumner: 'Forget my dad! Hear my band'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  3. ^ Machell, Ben (30 January 2010). "Coco Sumner on Sting, shyness and singing". Times Online. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
  4. ^ a b Phares, Heather. "Eliot Sumner". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Forthcoming UK Singles". www.radio1.gr. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 2016-05-18.
  6. ^ a b "Interview With Christian Wåhlberg". HitQuarters. 2 May 2011. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  7. ^ "Sub Focus Ft. Coco 'Splash' (Official video) - Drum & Bass Arena :: Established 1996". Archived from the original on 28 April 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  8. ^ a b Syme, Rachel (27 February 2020). "Eliot Sumner Plays the Lank-Haired Muse to Calvin Klein's New CK Everyone". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
  9. ^ Petski, Denise (9 December 2021). "Ripley: Eliot Sumner Joins Andrew Scott, Johnny Flynn & Dakota Fanning In Showtime Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Coco Sumner: My dad Sting talked me into having life-saving brain scan". Now Magazine. 13 February 2011. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  11. ^ "Coco Sumner – Every little thing Sting's daughter does is magic". The Independent. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2012.
  12. ^ Goodman, Lizzy (15 June 2016). "How Sting's Daughter Sabotaged Her Music Career". New York magazine/The Cut. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  13. ^ McLean, Craig; Dunne, John (2 December 2015). "I don't believe in 'gender labels,' says Sting's daughter Eliot Sumner". Evening Standard. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  14. ^ "Discographie Eliot Sumner". Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 26 March 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  15. ^ a b "Discografie Eliot Sumner". Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  16. ^ a b "Discografie Eliot Sumner". Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  17. ^ "Discographie Eliot Sumner". Lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  18. ^ Peak position for The Constant:
    "OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart :: sales for the period 02.11.2010 - 07.11.2010". OLiS. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  19. ^ "Discography Eliot Sumner". Swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 28 February 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
  20. ^ "Promo News " Blog Archive " I Blame Coco's Caesar by Hope Audikana " Promo News". Promonews.tv. Archived from the original on 1 June 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  21. ^ "Coco and Fyfe – Only Love Can Break Your Heart". YouTube. 12 April 2010. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  22. ^ "Promo News " Blog Archive " Sub Focus' Splash (feat. Coco) by Nick Frew " Promo News". Promonews.tv. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  23. ^ "Promo News " Blog Archive " I Blame Coco's Self Machine by Alex Smith " Promo News". Promonews.tv. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  24. ^ Moo, China. "I Blame Coco 'Quicker' on Vimeo". Vimeo.com. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  25. ^ "Promo News " Blog Archive " I Blame Coco's in Spirit Golden by Hope Audikana " Promo News". Promonews.tv. Archived from the original on 12 November 2010. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  26. ^ "Promo News " Blog Archive " Eliot Sumner's Information by Eliot Lee Hazel " Promo News". Promonews.tv. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  27. ^ "Music Video Commissions". Natalia Maus. Retrieved 10 November 2018.

External links[edit]