Rockstar couple Jeremy and Lauren Popoff love their life in Franklin. The California transplants have called Franklin home since 2020, renovating their historic property with help from HGTV’s Christina Hall. As Jeremy puts it, "Franklin kind of called us. We were drawn to it."
Jeremy, co-founder and guitarist of the iconic alt‑rock band LIT, and Lauren, built her own thriving beauty business that she sold when they left Orange County for greener pastures in Tennessee. We catch up with the Popoff's to see what they're up to now.
Let's start with your story. You're married 10 years. How did the two of you meet?
Jeremy: It's kind of a funny story. We both grew up in Southern California in Orange County, and we actually met at the sunglass store in the mall. When I would come back from being on tour, I'd pop in the mall and grab some more road supplies, and she was working in the sunglass store, and that's how we met. And then a few years later, we connected one night. I used to own a restaurant bar in Fullerton, California, and we met one night there and we've been together ever since.
Lauren: Yeah. It's pretty funny. Everyone always thinks we met at a show or something, and I'm like, "No, the mall."
Who's the dog lover, or both of you are? And how many do you have now?
Jeremy: Well, we definitely both are.
Lauren: I might have more dog love in me since I keep bringing them home.
Jeremy: We have three dogs. We just got a French Bulldog puppy, Henley, a couple weeks ago, and we have a German Shepherd and a Boxer. And two pigs.
What's a typical day like in the Popoff household?
Lauren: I think when we're both home, especially because there's so much travel involved in Jeremy's job and it's so high energy, I feel like sometimes we live 80-year-old people. We just run errands, we go to the grocery store, we like to eat dinner at 4:30 or 5:00.There's such a great community out here, too, so, I would say three to four days a week, we are meeting up with some of our friends in some aspect of the day. But, it's pretty normal. Go to the UPS store, go to the grocery store.
Jeremy: Since we've been in Franklin, we've done a lot of things to the house and the property and we've been slowly creating a place that we love to come home to and don't mind not leaving if we have the option.
What prompted the move from L.A. to Franklin?
Jeremy: Well, I started coming out to Nashville about 20 years ago for songwriting. Our manager at the time talked me into coming out to explore writing country music and other styles of music other than what I was writing with my rock band. I wrote with some people on Music Row. Fell in love with that. And so, I started coming out a week here, a month there, and I loved Nashville. I loved it then and I love it now. It's a completely different place, but I still have always loved it and loved watching it grow.
So it was my second home for a long time, and I started bringing Lauren out with me when we started dating 15 years ago, and she fell in love with it. So we always knew we'd wind up out here someday.
Jeremy, how has your creative life evolved since your "My Own Worst Enemy" days?
Jeremy: I had grown up playing in a rock and roll band, writing with my guys, not really scheduled, kind of more impromptu. And then, coming out here and learning how to discipline myself and have scheduled writing sessions that would start at 11:00 a.m. or noon - and the talent out here. It was really inspiring, and the discipline helped me become a better songwriter. So then, I wrote some great country songs with some great country artists and writers, and I feel like it made me a better writer for LIT and for other rock bands that I worked with. Just the creativity, the community, the process - I feel like it made me a lot better of a songwriter.
Lauren, what's something people might not know about being married to a touring musician?
Lauren: That's a really great question. I think one of the biggest things is that just because they have a certain persona or a certain stage presence doesn't mean that that really carries through all aspects of their life. I think that Jeremy is a really great friend. He's really sensitive, he's loyal, he's accountable, all of these things. And I think he could be in any career, but I think when people look at him, they're like, 'Oh, your lives must just be so crazy." And I'm like, 'Well, the shows are crazy, and he has some crazy stories, don't get me wrong.'
But I think the biggest surprise to people is just kind of our normal daily life and the fact that he is just a great husband. He's very much a part of everything that happens in the house. There are so many things where I'm like, 'Babe, can you just handle this'?' He's definitely kind of that person in the household, which I love. And I think for some people, they might just think, 'oh, everything gets done for them,' and he definitely has his hands in all the things.
Have you guys collaborated creatively in any way (besides working on the house) officially or behind the scenes?
Jeremy: Somewhat. Lauren is in the health and wellness space, and she has her own business in that. We collaborate on stuff like that creatively in different ways for her to grow her business. And a lot of creative stuff we collaborate on at the house and on the property, and just things that we want to do. But not musically. I keep her out of that.
Lauren: I have no musical talent. I can barely even play a tambourine. It's really bad.
What's next for you guys? Any personal milestones or creative dreams on the horizon?
Jeremy: LIT is making a new record right now. We're on the road constantly, but we've been writing our butts off and recording, and Lauren's just working her butt off with her business, and I think we're just going to keep focusing on that and growing those things.
@jeremypopoff
@laurenpopsoff
@litbandofficial