Eliot Paulina Sumner is a singer, songwriter, and actor who is the child of renowned musician Sting and actress Trudie Styler. Being the daughter of a notable artist like Sting, Sumner received their first guitar at around four or five. The musician wrote their first songs when they were just 15 years old.
So, it didn’t take long for Sumner to sign a record deal. They started a musical career at the age of 17 and began recording and touring with I Blame Coco. Back when they were a child, Sumner liked spending time outdoors, especially in the woods. Although the musician was gradually rising to success with their efforts for I Blame Coco, they decided to live alone in a cottage and end their career with the band. Sabotaging their own music career was an interesting and bold decision for Eliot Sumner since their career with I Blame Coco had just begun.
Eliot Sumner’s Musical Career With I Blame Coco
The British singer started writing songs when they were 15 years old. At age 17, they signed a multi-record deal with Island Records and started writing and recording. After six months of work, Eliot began recording their debut album ‘The Constant‘ in 2010, along with Emlyn Maillard, Al Shux, and the producer Klas Åhlund. They then adopted the band name I Blame Coco, derived from Eliot’s nickname ‘Coco.’
However, when the work on ‘The Constant’ was done, Eliot Sumner decided to start from scratch and ripped away the entire album. In an interview with Britain’s The Sun, Sumner argued that they had a gut feeling that told them to start recording again. Moreover, the musician also stated that they found themselves writing new material they might use in future albums. According to Eliot, they couldn’t stop writing, and this spawned numerous songs to be recorded.
Eliot Sumner told Britain’s The Sun the following:
“I just had a gut feeling and scrapped the whole album. The new album took about nine months to finish. I started writing new material and couldn’t stop. I’ve got many tracks left over that I might use on future albums.”
They released ‘The Constant’ in 2010, featuring pop and electronic music elements. Its first single was titled ‘Caesar,’ and the next single was named ‘Self Machine.’ ‘Caesar’ featured the Swedish pop singer Robyn’s contributions. Although this album sold well, Eliot wasn’t pleased with the music they were making. She believed it didn’t showcase their true self and musical interests.
How Eliot Sumner Systematically Sabotaged Her Music Career?
By age 21, Eliot Sumner had lost the popularity they achieved with I Blame Coco because they lacked the will to make another musical effort that wouldn’t please them. Sumner then made a radical decision and stopped touring and working with their then-managers. They moved to a cottage in the Lake District and focused on listening to their inner voice and exploring other genres like house music.
Speaking to The Cut for an interview, Sting’s daughter stated that they were told to make music that would become popular. However, this wasn’t Eliot’s intention, so they decided to make their own music instead. According to Eliot, they didn’t believe in what they were doing with I Blame Coco because it didn’t reflect them. Following a series of bold moves and radical changes, the musician intentionally sabotaged their own band.
Here is what Eliot Sumner told The Cut in the interview:
“You get told you have to make something popular, and as soon as you’ve done that, you can go and do your own thing. But I didn’t believe in what I was doing. It wasn’t me.”
In 2014, Eliot Sumner released their EP’ Information’ under their birth name, while the full album of the same name dropped in 2016. Sting’s daughter also contributed to other artists with their vocals, such as Sway’s ‘End Of The Road‘ and Sub Focus’ ‘Splash.’ Moreover, Eliot also sang a cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ with Clint Mansell for the soundtrack to the 2013 movie ‘Filth.’
Eliot Sumner now works as a DJ in European dance clubs under the moniker ‘Vaal’ while continuing to make solo efforts. The musician’s latest studio effort is the album ‘Nosferatu,’ which they released on January 25, 2019, as Vaal. It seems Sting’s daughter finally found themselves in the music they want to make, so sabotaging their career might not seem like a wrong decision for them.
