Sumner

Offering an interesting blend of new wave and arena rock, Sumner was a little-known band that was active on the Los Angeles/Hollywood rock scene in the late '70s and early '80s. Sumner was formed in L.A. in 1978, when lead singer/rhythm guitarist Sumner Mering (who the band was named after) joined forces with lead guitarist Larry Treadwell, bassist Robert Louis DiChiro, drummer Mark Sanders, and a female keyboardist who simply went by Novi. The band's L.A./Hollywood gigs led to a deal with Asylum/Elektra, which released its self-titled debut album in 1980. Although Sumner received its share of generally favorable reviews, the LP didn't sell. Asylum/Elektra dropped the band, and in 1981 Sumner broke up without ever recording a second album. ~ Alex Henderson