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AFI

AFI

ALL ARTIST INFO IS PULLED FROM PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA.
IF YOU REPRESENT THIS ARTIST AND WOULD LIKE TO VERIFY YOUR PAGE OR UPDATE THE INFO, Click Here
Biography

AFI (A Fire Inside) is an American rock outfit based out of Ukiah, California. After forming in 1991, they began releasing music with a unique sound that is a combination of alternative rock, emo, post-rock, hardcore, gothic rock, and horror-punk. It’s basically an art form. They’ve been affiliated with numerous major labels since their formation, including Concord, Republic, Interscope, DreamWorks, Rise, and Adeline.

The current lineup of AFI consists of Adam Carson, Davey Havok, Hunter Burgan, and Jade Puget, but several others were previously in the band. Former members include Geff Kresge, Vic Chalker, and Mark Stopholese.

Curious about how this highly successful rock band got started? Keep reading to find out.

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instruments played
bass
drums
Guitar
Vocals
Also Known As

A Fire Inside

Associated Acts

Blaqk Audio, XTRMST, Tiger Army

Genres

Alternative rock, emo, post-hardcore, horror punk, melodic hardcore, gothic rock

Labels

Concord, Republic, Interscope, DreamWorks, Nitro, Adeline, Wingnut, Craig Schmoldt records, Rise, Key Lime Pie

Origin

Ukiah, California, U.S.

Website

afireinside.net

Years Active

1991 - present

Wiki Link

AFI’s Origin Story

  • The first members of AFI were Vic Chalker, Davey Havoc, and Mark Stopholese, two out of three of whom are no longer in the band. The three attended high school together in Ukiah, California, and they started making music together in 1991. However, none of the band’s members could play any instruments at the time, which makes achieving excellence in music pretty difficult.
  • Stopholese had an idea that he thought would help them become a band more practice than just in theory – get a drummer. He invited his friend Adam Carson, AFI’s current drummer, to join their lineup. Meanwhile, Stopholese started learning how to play guitar.
  • Vic Chalker was the band’s first bassist, but he eventually left the group and was replaced by Geoff Kresge, who also eventually left the band. In 1993, two years after forming, the group released their first EP, Dork, as a split with Loose Change. The cover of the EP features a picture of drummer Adam Carson, looking like the goofy high schooler he was at the time. 
  • AFI only made 200 copies of their first EP, but people quickly started making counterfeits and selling them online.
  • At the time of the group’s first release, their lineup was Adam Carson on drums, Davey Havok on vocals, Geoff Kresge on bass, and Markus Stopholese on guitar.
  • AFI split up in 1993, but only temporarily. Several of the members went to different colleges at the time, but they eventually dropped out to commit more time to the band. The group played a reunion show at California’s Phoenix Theater after returning home from college, and the crowd loved their set so much that they knew that they needed to give the band all their time and energy.
  • In the early 1990s, the band collectively moved to Berkeley, California, where they recorded and released numerous EPs, including Eddie Picnic’s All Wet, Behind the Times, Fly in the Ointment, and more. They also released several splits and compilations at the time. 

AFI’s Music

AFI has released eleven full-length albums, ten EPs, and a live album and concert film. It wasn’t until the 2000s when they released The Art of Drowning and Sing the Sorrow, that the group started to get a taste of mainstream success and reach larger audiences. However, they had been recording and performing for nearly a decade before the release of those highly successful albums.

Decemberunderground: The Band’s Most Celebrated Record

The band’s most commercially successful album is AFI’s seventh album, Decemberunderground. Released in 2006, the record was produced by Jerry Finn and released via the major label Interscope records. Before the full LP came out on June 6, the band released three singles – “Miss Murder,” “Love Like Winter,” and “The Missing Frame.” “Miss Murder” was later featured in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, and the single made it to No. 24 on the US Hot 100 charts. 
  • The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and it was met with positive reviews from critics. Several outlets noted the band’s sonic transition with the record towards a sound that was noticeably inspired by bands like The Smiths, The Cure, U2, Depeche Mode, and Alphaville. These 80s New Wave and rock bands inspired the group to move towards a more eclectic sound. On Decemberunderground, they dabbled in numerous genres, including EDM, new wave, synth wave, and more.
  • Decemberunderground was certified Gold by the RIAA in 2006, just a few months after its initial release. In 2013, the record went Platinum, having sold over a million units in the United States.
  • Fans who pre-ordered Decemberunderground were given an exclusive CD that contained a cover of the song “Don’t Change” by the Australian rock band INXS. 

AFI’s Albums in Order

    • Answer That and Stay Fashionable (1995)
    • Very Proud of Ya (1996)
    • Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes (1997)
    • Black Sails in the Sunset (1999)
    • The Art of Drowning (2000)
    • Sing the Sorrow (2003), which included popular singles “Girl’s Not Grey” and “Silver and Cold.”
    • Decemberunderground (2006)
    • Crash Love (2009)
    • Burials (2013)
    • AFI (2017)
  • The Missing Man (2018). This is technically an EP that was released in December 2018. 
  • Bodies (2021)
AFI’s most recent record, Bodies, was produced by band member Jade Puget and features the singles “Twisted Tongues,” “Looking Tragic,” “Begging for Trouble,” and several others.

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