Joe Sumner's been to Lancaster County before.

He said he was visiting a friend, and has distinct memories of Bird-In-Hand Restaurant and some "pretty scenery," but mostly, he stayed inside and watched MTV.

"It was definitely the '90s, the last time I was there," said the leader of London rock band Fiction Plane. "Because the videos were for 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' and 'Jeremy.' "

On Monday, Sumner will visit the area once again, when Fiction Plane will play at Chameleon Club.

"Right now, I'm in Columbus, Ohio, freezing my (butt) off," the 30-year-old said during a telephone interview Thursday. "I don't mean to complain, it's just soooo cold."

But live performances are good for warming up, as Sumner can tell you. And since Fiction Plane happens to be a smart, three-piece band that sounds phenomenally big, with sophisticated songs and a funky hybrid sound that consists of garage rock, dub and Brit-pop, critics have generally been warm when reviewing the young musicians.

There have been cynics reluctant to give Fiction Plane a chance, but that's mostly because of Sumner's dad, who happens to be Gordon Sumner — as in Sting of The Police. And if the young Sumner had a dollar for every time someone mentioned his parentage, he could easily buy a small country.

He said he spent many years avoiding the comparisons in an attempt to become his own man, taking jobs in the middle of nowhere, and downplaying his last name. But, Sumner said, people usually figured out who he was anyway.

Finally, after releasing two strong albums and recently completing a third, "The Left Side of the Brain," he decided to embrace his musical heritage and agreed to open for The Police's reunion tour earlier this year.

"There were lots of older music listeners on that tour," Sumner said. "And sometimes, they're not into discovering new music on their own. Like, people who say, 'I'm a Jimmy Buffet man, and that's it.'

"So, when we started playing on the tour, we'd sometimes get these cynical looks from the audience," he said. "But many of them would tell us after a show that they liked us very much, they just needed the incentive to listen."

As the son of the aforementioned Sting and his first wife, Frances Tomelty, Sumner was surrounded by music at a very young age. But it wasn't until the Seattle grunge sound crossed the Atlantic that he decided to become a musician at the age of 15.

"I really loved Nirvana," Sumner said. "Now, we don't sound like Nirvana, nor was that ever a goal with me. But what I did want to emulate was their integrity, and the attitude that they were going to do things their way without any regard for fashion.

"During the '90s, I was at an age when I decided, 'this is the music I like,'" he said. "And I found moshing to be useful, since I can't dance — at all. I'd hear really great songs, and I'd think, 'Wicked! It's too bad I can't participate on the dance floor.' Moshing was a good solution for that."

Sumner and original bassist Dan Brown formed Fiction Plane in London with guitarist Senton Daunt, later bringing in drummer Joe Wilhoit, the band's lone American.

Fiction Plane had released the debut album "Everything Will Never Be OK" in 2003 on a major label, but record company "problems" caused the follow-up to be delayed.

Then Brown left the band, and Sumner took his place by switching from guitar to bass. "We never stopped, just kept going." he said.

After the release of the "Bitter Forces and Lame Race Horses" EP in 2005, Fiction Plane seemed more cohesive, especially since newcomer Wilhoit seemed to gel with Sumner and Daunt effortlessly.

"We had taken an ad in the Village Voice, looking for a new drummer," Sumner recalled. "We auditioned over 500 musicians in New York, and things were getting grim.

"Then Pete showed up, and we knew he was the one only 25 seconds later," he said. "We were like, 'Done!' We found our man."

"Left Side of the Brain" was released in May on Bieler Bros. Records. Sumner said the band is proud of this new album, which represents another side of Fiction Plane.

"On this record, we had no label interference," he said, "And we just came into our own. That's why I prefer it, and I think it will translate a lot better. It's just really from us."

One memorable track is the irrepressible "Drink," which Sumner wrote after a night of bingeing.

"The idea behind the song is simple," he said. "I came home and was like, 'God, I shouldn't have had that last drink.' I tend to regret that sort of thing. But it's OK; when things are happy and carefree, the music writing tends to suffer."

Which explains "Two Sisters," a fun, sexy song, in which real names were omitted to protect the innocent.

"It was about something that happened to me, but I can't be specific because I could get into trouble," Sumner said. "It's just about the difficulty of choosing the right person and the general indecision a lot of people experience in that area."

Sumner's voice does bear an uncanny resemblance to his father's — but after all, genetics will be genetics. However, his vocal range is closer to that of another superstar — U2's Bono, who can turn a song into a dramatic recitation.

"I write about personal things," Sumner said. "I rarely do a story song — unless it's a story that I can relate to personally. That way, the entire performance comes off with a kind of emotional sincerity, which audiences really do appreciate."

Fiction Plane, with The Mint and Kingsfoil, Mon., 6 p.m., Chameleon Club, 223 N. Water St., $8 advance, $10 at the door, 393-7133.

E-mail: cdifonzo@lnpnews.com