It’s no secret that our favorite musical acts are the ones that are constantly evolving and changing with the times, and when it comes to former-pop-punk-turned country band, Lit, that’s exactly what’s happening.
The band recently released their first country album, These Are the Days, featuring the single, “Good Problem to Have,” and we are absolutely LOVING all of it! We had a chance to chat with the band that provided the soundtrack to our teenage years about their past, their future and what made them “go country.”
Get to know Lit below!
NG: There has been a musical evolution from songs like “My Own Worst Enemy” and “Miserable” to “Good Problem to Have.” Can you talk a little about how you made the decision to move towards country music?
LIT: I feel like every record we’ve made has evolved from the ones before. I think every band or songwriter wants to think outside of the box – there are other more stable careers out there if you’re willing to follow rules. But, our Nashville connection started back in 2005 when I came out to write, and I fell in love with it. After a couple years of writing country songs and spending about a week a month out there, I started bringing A.Jay and Ryan to Nashville with me, and they loved it too. It changed the way we wrote songs.
NG: What made you decide to release “Good Problem to Have” as your first official country song?
LIT: We felt that Good Problem was a great mix of past and present Lit. We hoped country fans would embrace it, and we hoped our old fans would embrace country. We just felt like it was a great song to introduce this record to people.
NG: Your new album, “These are the Days,” is coming out August 10. Can you describe how you’re feeling in the final weeks before its release?
LIT: Confused – ha! We are all still trying to wrap our heads around what it even means anymore to release a record. There are no more stores to buy records at – it’s all about streaming and so different than 10 years ago. Now, fans will just wake up on Friday, and they’ll have it on their phone. Having said that, though, we are really excited to have the new music out there, and we can’t wait to see it come to life out here on the road.
NG: How did the process for writing and recording the new album compare to your previous albums?
LIT: We actually wrote a lot of our last record, A View From The Bottom, in Nashville. So, the process wasn’t much different. We have a few of our favorite writers – who are also our buddies – and we are so lucky to be able to collaborate with them. Singleton, Crowder, Steele – just being in a room with those dudes inspires us.
NG: If you could describe the new album in three words, what would they be?
LIT: Grab a cocktail.
NG: Most people will remember Lit for songs like “My Own Worst Enemy,” but what is your all-time favorite song that you’ve ever written and recorded?
LIT: Oh man. That’s a tough one. There are songs from Lit records that I love, like “The Wall,” a bunch of songs are very personal to me – “Fast” on this record, and “Someday, Maybe.” I also have a couple country songs that people have never heard that I absolutely love. One of my favorites is “Bad Day To Lay The Bottle Down.” Colt Ford actually cut it on his last record. It’s so hard to pick favorites. I’m just still amazed after all these years that new ideas and words still come out. The process of creating songs from nothing – that still blows my mind. You walk into a room with a guitar and a thought or two, and you walk out a few hours later with something that could literally change someones life, or at least be a part of their soundtrack.
NG: The album was produced by Corey Crowder, and you’ve written with guys like Randy Houser, Cole Swindell, and Jamey Johnson. What kind of advice did those country heavyweights give you?
LIT: Those dudes are my buddies before they are my collaborators. We hang first and write second. Jamey is one of my best friends, he actually married my wife and me. He has introduced me to so much great music that I might have never known – he’s a damn human jukebox. In return, I introduced him to Avenged Sevenfold and Elvis Costello. Haha. Jamey and I have given each other a lot of advice over the years, but it’s usually about life, money, women and raising kids.
NG: What can people expect to hear on the album?
LIT: People will hear what Lit has always been about. Honest songs about the way we’re living. We’re grown men living like teenagers still. Been through a lot of life – divorces, lost loved ones, kids, but we still come together and do something that makes a lot of people happy, including ourselves. My hope is always that someone will hear one song that they can call their own. One song that inspires a tattoo, or plays at a wedding or a funeral. One song that lets someone know that they are not alone. That’s always my biggest hope. Then there are a few more on there to crank up and party to.
NG: What has been the most surprising thing about releasing country music?
LIT: There isn’t much that can surprise me anymore. I think a lot of people are surprised that we can play the same set live at a country show that we do at a rock show. I’ve known for a long time though that music fans aren’t as genre specific as music industry people are. I’ve seen Eric Church t-shirts at a Rob Zombie concert. People like good songs and a good time, I think.
NG: If you could only cover one song for the rest of your career as a band, what song would you choose?
LIT: Probably an Eagles song. “Take It Easy” maybe? Or “Boston- Don’t Look Back.”
NG: You’re headlining the Gen-X Summer Tour with bands like P.O.D., Buckcherry, and Alien Ant Farm – will you be busting out some country music at these tour stops?
LIT: Absolutely. Our set has 4 or 5 singles that everyone knows, and the rest is new stuff. The new songs have been going over great live.
NG: What’s one song our readers would be shocked to find out you love?
LIT: Dokken- The Hunter
Kris Kristofferson- Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down
Jeffrey Steele- These Days
Watch Lit’s “Good Problem to Have” below!
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