Hailing from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England, Cook developed a taste for music in his early teens when his interest was spurred by the enthusiastic nature of his father, who took Cook to as many live gigs as he could. From performances by Vampire Weekend and MGMT to Everything Everything, the shows soon inspired the young creative to pen his own lyrics and tunes. After some time teaching himself music production basics with MIDI systems and figuring out a specific sound palette for his work, Cook eventually shared his first EP, You Jump, I Run, online in 2015. Littered with charting-single vigor, the release soon topped a million streams, attracting the attention of Atlantic Records. After some sold-out shows across London and an appearance on the BBC Introducing stage at the Glastonbury Festival, he delivered his second EP, Proof Enough, on Atlantic in mid-2015. Cook soon drew comparisons from critics to everyone from King Krule to Talking Heads and was praised for his affinity for fun, summery pop anthems. The track "Beach," in particular, began to receive widespread airplay in both the U.K. and the U.S., earning Cook a place at the SXSW festival and a support slot for one of his inspirations, Everything Everything.