LUVPLANET

Rock’n’Roll for the Soul!

 

Guitarist/Singer/Songwriters

Nicole Sutton and Mark McGee (Gregg Allman) create timeless rock'n'roll that takes you on a heartfelt musical ride. As a full band and duo they've graced many stages. From clubs, to theaters to festivals, they've captivated live audiences with their powerful, melodic sound. Since the beginning of their musical journey, they've shared an undeniable chemistry! With hearts slung on their sleeves they tap into a variety of styles from Rock, Pop, Country, Blues and Psychedelic. Authentic songs about life, luv, pain, joy combine a potent blend of lush harmony vocals, meaningful lyrics and psychedelic guitar jams. Generating high vibrations they captivate live audiences with pure raw emotion! As they blaze a trail of creativity, their genuine musical vision continues to blossom. ​With seven albums to their credit, they are on par with the great bands of our time! With a brand new album set for 2025, there is no end in sight for this musical powerhouse!

 

The story...

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Luvplanet's began in Spring 1999 when Nicole Sutton was recording at SRS studios in San Rafael, CA. Musician McGee was asked to come add guitar tracks to the recording. Weeks later he was invited to take part in an impromptu jam session with Nicole, bassist Stu Hamm and drummer Jeff Campitelli. It became clear that the search for the band was the main objective. While Mark wasn't looking to commit to a new project, he soon realized all that he and Sutton had in common and to create music with her and such an incredible rhythm section was to good to be true. Magic was in the air and an inspired partnership was unraveling right before their eyes.

 

Throughout 1999 they gathered at weekly rehearsals preparing song arrangements. By the end of the year they performed a small batch of shows in Northern California and things felt amazing! Unfortunately, Stu and Jeff's commitments with Joe Satriani came calling and soon the preperations and planning for the recording of the debut album was the focus. After locking in studio 880 as the destination, Stu and Jeff were on board to come in and bring to fruition the first album and songs that they had worked up.  2003's 'Luvplanet' was an amazing debut but now the search for a permanent rhythm section was the plan. 

 

Many auditions followed but in the end, Mark would reach out to former bandmates drummer Scott McKenzie (Starcastle) and Tommy Sisco (Vicious Rumors). This proved to be a winning combination generating new, exciting energy for the band.​ Nicole and Mark's alliance was passionate and prolific as they churned out countless new songs. For the next 6 years the band played many live shows establishing themselves as a premier band in the San Francisco Bay Area. During this time came the release of three new studio albums, 2004's 'State of Mind', 2008's 'Lucky One' and 2010's 'Luvolution'.​ By 2011, Scott's commitments outside the band were not lining up with the band's and unfortunately Luvplanet was forced to seek out a replacement.

 

Nicole, Mark and Tommy soon found drummer Cedric Wilmott and though he didn't appear on any Luvplanet albums, his time with the group was a positive and forward looking period. His drive and demeanor was empowering and they had much fun together. However due to Family obligations, Cedric's path demanded he relocate to Tennessee. In a strange twist of events McKenzie returned to the band for a brief stay, but it didn't stick and again auditions began and the drummer search continued. The band moved forward with expert, Michael Amos who had previously auditioned.

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Not long after, the band was prompted by an industry professional to re-record a stripped down version of an older song titled 'Gem' from the 'State of Mind' album for possible placement in a feature film. It was finished and released it as a single simply titled 'Gem 2016'. The outcome is a beautiful rendition presented more as a duet rather than the original version where Mark sang the lead. Musician and Bay Area native Stephen Salinas added tasteful piano to the track.

 

Soon they were ready to record their 5th studio album.​ The intention with '2016's 'Rivertown' was to capture a more organic, earthy sound and the outcome clearly delivered that. The response was overwhelmingly positive and many of the songs remain fan favorites!

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In 2018 the band expanded it's sound with the addition of keyboardist Steven Anderson, adding a welcomed texture to the bands guitar driven sound.

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In 2019 the band headed into the studio to record their 6th studio album, but before it's completion, the global scare

came and inspired the song, 'The Day They Closed The World'. A healing anthem and song of hope that was a sonic beacon of light for so many.

 

And then finally on June 21st, 2020, the band would unveil it’s most ambitious record to date, 'Something Good'.

This double CD includes 20 original compositions (and a hidden bonus track) and shows a more diverse Luvplanet than ever before!

 

With 2023's 'Live Waves',the bands first ever live album, it represents two decades as one of the premier music groups holding the torch for Original Rock'n'Roll music in a world full of copycats and features 13 exciting live tracks.

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Now in 2024 the band has begun recording tracks for their 7th studio album due out in the Summer of 2025! 

​With more exciting times ahead, the story continues ...