I Blame Coco
Sumner began writing songs at the age of 15, and signed a multi-record deal with Island Records at age 17.
They spent six months writing and recording a debut album, The Constant (2010), in Sweden with producer Klas Åhlund, 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. The next single, "Self Machine", was released in July 2010.
According to Christian Wåhlberg, Sumner's manager, Åhlund, had been keen to work with Sumner because he saw the "punk rocker" in them. 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.
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.
