It was early on, he says, “My brother and I went with our dad to an Iron Maiden concert when I was 8 years old… Seeing them on stage and the energy we felt in the crowd. Catapulted us into the world we dreamed of: MTV, music videos, songs on the radio… It just blew up and we rolled with the punches.”Ījay talked about the moment he knew music was the path he was going down. That isn’t because they have some manager pushing them into something or a front they are putting on. It keeps up with the times and evolved while still staying true to who Lit is at the core. Their music holds a sense of fun and letting go that is easy to get lost in.

When you talk to Ajay, you really get to feel the heart behind Lit. We got to sit down with frontman Ajay Popoff at The Gathering in Cleveland, Ohio. The entire album is filled with party anthems from the same Lit you loved in ’99 but with a freshness that not every artist is able to accomplish after over two decades of making music. Now we get to create new memories with Taste Like Gold, Lit’s new LP that dropped last month.

Songs like “My Own Worst Enemy” defined modern rock in the late 90s. Maybe it’s a memory of seeing Lit live that takes you back that feeling of pure fun when their pop-punk sound waves hit you in the chest. Listening to Lit’s music sets the scene for the best kind of nostalgia, the kind that takes you back to a moment of freedom or a summer road trip with your friends. Lit’s Ajay Popoff talks about his career with the band.

Please tell me why lit or blink 182