Lit "What brought the four of us together in the first place was our love of music," recalls Kevin Baldes, Lit's bassist. "We were friends even before we started playing together." In addition to Baldes, the band features singer A. Jay Popoff, his brother Jeremy Popoff on guitars and drummer Allen Shellenberger. The group's lineup has remained unchanged since its inception nine years ago. Lit is a top-drawing band in Orange County, California, consistently selling out Club 369 in Fullerton, a venue that has hosted innumerable shows by luminaries such as No Doubt and Korn. And while all four members of Lit grew up in Orange County, they can't be categorized with any of the area's many musical movements. "We're not really a part of any scene. We just play music that we're into, instead of worrying about what other bands are doing," Allen admitted. Added Jeremy: "We have our own warehouse in Anaheim where we practice and write songs. We just focus on Lit." Lit's influences run the gamut from Iron Maiden to Elvis Costello, from 1960's Las Vegas to 1980's MTV. Although it is the winning hybrid of styles that marks the band's musical turf, there are the incredible live performances, vintage Cadillacs, late night poker games and frequent excursions to Las Vegas that combined to complete "A Place in the Sun," Lit's first release on RCA Records. "A Place in the Sun" features a collection of memorable tracks: "My Own Worst Enemy," chronicles a tale about waking up one morning and realizing how much you screwed up the night before; "Down" explores the special relationship between a man and his Cadillac (both of the Popoff brothers own restored 1960's Cadillacs); and "Happy" which finds the band working with a full horn section. "We wanted to use horns on 'Happy,' but in more of a 1970's Chicago kind of way than the 90's ska approach," Jeremy explained. And while Lit's sound is grounded in a heavy vein, their love of pop is revealed on tracks like "Quicksand" and "Four." The group's debut album, "Tripping the Light Fantastic," was released in April 1997 on an independent label. The album netted Lit enthusiastic reviews and strong college airplay (#1 most added CMJ, #2 most added Gavin) across America. "Tripping the Light Fantastic" will be re-released on the band's own label, Dirty Martini, and will contain an enhanced portion with a full length video and a previously unavailable track. "The first album was a lot heavier and angrier," Jeremy admitted "but we left a lot of doors open. On this record, nobody's gonna think we did a 180. " Lit signed with RCA in October 1998. "We didn't want to be a buzz band. We didn't want 10 labels to like us; we just wanted one to love us," A. Jay said. Added Jeremy: "When we met the folks at RCA we knew we had finally found the people who believed in our music the way we do. " So fast, in fact, that Lit found themselves in the studio even before the deal was signed. The band co-produced "A Place in the Sun" with Don Gilmore (Eve 6, Pearl Jam, The Verve Pipe), and the album was mixed by Brian Malouf (Everclear, The Verve Pipe). Although Lit was happy to have the time and resources to make an album that represents their musical vision, they are anxious to get back out on the road. "Being on the road is what this band is all about," said Kevin. Lit sets out to make clubgoers feel like they are at an arena rock concert. "There is more to Lit than the music alone," said Jeremy, noting the band has an attitude in sync with the 1960's Las Vegas era as personified by the Rat Pack. "Our sound is today, but our vibe is a long time ago." A. Jay adds: "We want to bring showbiz back into rock."
A. Jay Popoff - Vocal
Jeremy Popoff - Guitars
Kevin Baldes - Bass
Allen Shellenberger - Drums
- from iMusic
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