{{Short description|American electropop/new wave band}} {{For|the 1961 Italian film|The Lovemakers (film)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | name = The Lovemakers | image = Lovemakers in concert July 2009.jpg | caption = The Lovemakers in concert at Talking House Productions' studios, San Francisco, July 2009 | image_size = 250 | background = group_or_band | birth_name = | alias = | origin = Oakland, California, United States | genre = New wave, electropop<ref name="On the town"/> | years_active = 2002–2009, 2014-2020 | label = Interscope, Fuzz, Talking House Records | associated_acts = | website = http://www.thelovemakers.net/ | current_members = Scott Blonde<br />Lisa Light<br />Julia Johari<br />Michael Gorman | past_members = Jason Proctor<br />Michael Urbano<br />Cary LaScala<br />Gareth Lloyd<br />Brandon Arnovick<br />Ken Hard }} '''The Lovemakers''' is an electropop/new wave band from Oakland, California.<ref name="On the town">{{cite news | first=Aidin | last=Vaziri | title=ON THE TOWN: With Lisa Light and Scott Blonde | date=2007-07-29 | publisher=San Francisco Chronicle | url =http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/29/LV82R8ISB2.DTL&hw=The+Lovemakers&sn=004&sc=356 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20121025185041/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/29/LV82R8ISB2.DTL&hw=The+Lovemakers&sn=004&sc=356 | url-status =dead | archive-date =October 25, 2012 | work =San Francisco Chronicle | access-date = 2007-11-13 | quote = Lisa Light and Scott Blonde play music together as the Lovemakers, a sexually charged Bay Area electro-pop group that got national exposure two years ago with their major label debut, "Times of Romance." }}</ref> The band was formed in the spring of 2002 by Scott Blonde (guitar, vocals) and Lisa Light (vocals, bass) who are the two core members. Light and Blonde met in 2002 via Blonde's manager, whom Light was dating at the time.<ref name='AMG.com-Bio'>{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p588328/biography|pure_url=yes}} |title=allmusic ((( The Lovemakers > Biography ))) |access-date=2008-01-25 |last=Reges |first=Margaret |work=Allmusic |publisher=Macrovision Corporation|quote=Lisa Light and Scott Blonde met in Oakland, CA, in 2002 via Blonde's manager, whom Light was dating.}}</ref> Shortly afterward Light left her boyfriend, and she began dating Blonde and joined his band Applesaucer.<ref name='AMG.com-Bio'/> They were forced out of the band, reportedly for making out during practice.<ref name='StereoSubversionInterview'>{{cite news|url=http://www.stereosubversion.com/interviews-features/the-lovemakers/ |title=Stereo Subversion - Meaningful Music Exists: The Lovemakers |access-date=2008-01-25 |last=Blasco |first=Grace |date=2007-10-29 |work=Stereo Subversion |publisher=Stereo Subversion.com |quote="After being kicked out of their former band for making out during rehearsal and just as notoriously splitting up right before the release of their breakout album, Scott Blond and Lisa Light have mesmerized fans since their 2005 release, Times of Romance. With sexy 80s dance numbers and an even sexier live show involving half naked dancing and more, The Lovemakers have always made people take notice." |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080105042538/http://www.stereosubversion.com/interviews-features/the-lovemakers/ <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2008-01-05}}</ref> Afterward they formed their own band naming themselves The Lovemakers after the Japanese sexploitation film ''The Weird Lovemakers''.<ref name='Lovemakers.com-Bio'>{{cite web|url=http://www.thelovemakers.com/?page_id=4 |title=the lovemakers » Bio |access-date=2008-01-25 |work=TheLovemakers.com|quote=Forming in 2002 after core members Lisa Light (bass, vocals) and Scott Blonde (guitar, vocals) were kicked out of their previous band for making out with each other during practice, they crowned themselves The Lovemakers, inspired by a bizarrely-shot Japanese porn film titled “The Weird Lovemakers.”}}</ref> They joined with Jason Proctor on keyboards to form the initial lineup.<ref name="Potion for Success">{{cite news | first=Reyhan | last=Harmanci | title=The Lovemakers' potion for success -- sex appeal, ambition and talent | date=2005-08-17 | publisher=San Francisco Chronicle | url =https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/The-Lovemakers-potion-for-success-sex-appeal-2647237.php | work =San Francisco Chronicle | access-date = 2007-11-13 }}</ref>
The Lovemakers released a self-titled record in 2003. A second record, ''Times of Romance'', was released on August 23, 2005 on Interscope Records new imprint Cherrytree. A single, "Prepare for the Fight", was put out in advance of the album's release date. The album also features Josh Freese on drums. In 2006, Proctor departed to return to his day job as a computer programmer full-time.<ref name="StereoSubversionInterview"/>
In 2007, The Lovemakers signed to Fuzz, a fledgling San Francisco record label, who released their third album ''Misery Loves Company'' on July 24, 2007. The album is an enhanced EP featuring 5 songs and 5 corresponding high-quality music videos. A single, "Whine & Dine", was put out in advance of the release date.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-08-08 |title=Feel Like Making Love |url=https://eastbayexpress.com/feel-like-making-love-1/ |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=East Bay Express {{!}} Oakland, Berkeley & Alameda |language=en-US}}</ref> For ''Misery Loves Company'' and the subsequent touring the band featured Brandon Arnovick on keyboards and Kenneth Hard on drums.
In 2008, The Lovemakers began a production deal with independent music company Talking House Productions (San Francisco) and recorded their fourth album ''Let's Be Friends,'' at the label's in-house studio with Talking House producer Marc Weibel. Arnovick and Hard had departed the band by this time, and Michael Urbano joined the group to record the drums on all but one track on the album.<ref>{{Citation |title=The Lovemakers - Let's Be Friends |date=15 September 2009 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/4950017-The-Lovemakers-Lets-Be-Friends |language=en |access-date=2022-08-08}}</ref>
Talking House Records released ''Let's Be Friends'' in September 2009<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vaziri |first=Aidin |date=2009-09-20 |title=CD: The Lovemakers, 'Let's Be Friends' |url=https://www.sfgate.com/music/article/CD-The-Lovemakers-Let-s-Be-Friends-3217914.php |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=SFGATE |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Let's Be Friends - The Lovemakers {{!}} Release Info |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/lets-be-friends-mr0001042919 |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref> (the label used The Lovemakers' own mark on the cover art in a nod to the band's DIY ethic).<ref>{{cite web |title=Official Press Release for Let's Be Friends |url=http://www.thelovemakers.com/?p=42 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628160132/http://www.thelovemakers.com/?p=42 |archive-date=2009-06-28 |access-date=2009-07-12}}</ref> The band followed the release with a supporting tour, with Cary LaScala on drums and Gareth Lloyd on synthesizer for live performances.{{update after|2010|09|01}} The label released an advance single called "See What I Wanna See" on August 11, 2009, which was featured by iTunes on its "WHAT'S HOT" list and its "NEW AND NOTEWORTHY" list.<ref name="New Single, Video from the Lovemakers">{{cite news |last=Arnold |first=Eric |date=2009-08-12 |title=New Single, Video from the Lovemakers |url=https://www.sfweekly.com/music/new-single-video-from-the-lovemakers/article_6b0bb0ea-5965-51c4-8dd4-cac429d96142.html |access-date=2009-08-18 |work=SF Weekly |publisher=SF Weekly}}</ref> The second single off ''Let's Be Friends,'' "Love is Dead," was featured as a Single of Week on iTunes during the week of September 9, 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Norrell |first=Clif |date=August 8, 2022 |title=News |url=https://www.clifnorrell.com/news-archive |access-date=August 8, 2022 |website=Clif Norrell}}</ref>
In December 2009, The Lovemakers announced they would play their last show on New Year's Eve in Oakland at Ghost Town Gallery. This site is near the location of their first performance 7 years earlier.
The band was scheduled to perform a one-time-only reunion show on February 14, 2014 (Valentine's Day) at The Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco. According to the band's website, the Lovemakers then reformed in July 2014, with a plan to play hand-picked shows, and work on new material in the studio. This was followed by a single released in July 2014, "Beautiful Master," co-written by Chris Stein of Blondie, produced by Jeff Saltzman, and mixed by Mikael Johnston. More shows followed, about one every two or three months, through 2015 and into 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thelovemakers.net/ |title=Home |website=thelovemakers.net}}</ref>
==Discography== '''Albums''' *''The Lovemakers'' (EP) (April 5, 2003) *''Times of Romance'' (August 23, 2005) *''Misery Loves Company'' (EP) (July 24, 2007) *''Let's Be Friends'' (September 15, 2009) *"Cassingles" (A/B singles) (September, 2016) *"Cassingles #2" (A/B singles) (February, 2018)
'''Singles''' *"Shake That Ass" *"Prepare for the Fight" *"Whine & Dine" *"See What I Wanna See" *"Love is Dead"
==References and notes== {{reflist|1}} {{refbegin}} <!-- add references here --> {{refend}}
==External links== *[http://www.thelovemakers.net The Lovemakers official site]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lovemakers, The}} Category:American pop music groups Category:Musical groups from Oakland, California Category:Musical groups established in 2002 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2009 Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2014 Category:2002 establishments in California Category:2009 disestablishments in California