AFI (A Fire Inside)

Members: Davey Havok, Jade Puget, Hunter Burgan, Adam Carson

Active: 1991 - Present

HISTORY

AFI (A Fire Inside ) is an alternative rock band from Utah, California, United States. AFI was formed in 1991 by Davey Havok (vocals), Mark Stopholese (guitar), Vic Chalker (bass) and Adam Carson (drums) in Ukiah, California as a four-piece hardcore punk outfit. Bassist Vic lost interest and was replaced by Geoff Kresge. Kresge left AFI eventually becoming part of the band Tiger Army (now plays for The Horrorpops) and the spot was filled by Hunter Burgan. Eventually, guitarist Mark Stopholese was replaced by Jade Puget, who at the time was in the band Loose Change.

AFI formed in 1991 when the members were attending high school in Utah, California. Adam Carson (drums) and Davey Havok (Vocals) first became friends after playing school soccer together. Adam used his brother's drum kit, Davey (a member of the school choir) exhibited talent as a singer even this early, and they were joined by guitarist Mark Stopholese. A Fire Inside made their first foray in recording with the EP "Dork" (1993), split with the band "Loose Change" featuring future AFI guitarist Jade Puget. Soon after, AFI broke up while its members moved to different colleges, including the University of California, Berkeley where Havok began a double major of English and Psychology and the University of California, Santa Barbara. The original bassist Geoff Kresge moved to New York where he played with the band "Blanks 77". After reuniting to perform a very successful live show, the members decided to drop out of college and play in the band full-time. Between 1993 and 1995 they released many independently made vinyl EP's ("Behind the Times", "Eddie's Picnic All Wet", "This is Berkeley, Not West Bay", "AFI/Heckle", and "Fly in the Ointment"), and eventually released their debut full-length album Answer That and Stay Fashionable in 1995 on Wingnut Records, later re-released in 1997 on Nitro Records. Their second album, Very Proud of Ya, was released in 1996 by the Nitro Label, after which their bassist Geoff Kresge decided to leave the group for personal reasons. The bassist, Hunter Burgan (formerly of The Force) filled in for Kresge for the tour in support of Very Proud of Ya. He went on to help AFI record Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes and was subsequently invited to become the full time bassist.

After the recording of the A Fire Inside EP in 1998, Mark left the band to be replaced by guitarist Jade Puget, formerly of Redemption 87 and Loose Change, who was critical in forming the band's new sound over the following albums. Following on from the new approach they had taken on the aforementioned A Fire Inside EP (released on Adeline Records) the band recorded their Black Sails in the Sunset (Nitro 1999), a musical turning point. On this album, and the following All Hallow's EP (Nitro 1999), other EPs and the seminal The Art of Drowning album (Nitro 2000) their original hardcore roots were still quite apparent in their musical approach, but more 80s horror punk seemed to appear in the lyrics. Their next album, Sing the Sorrow was released on the much larger DreamWorks label on March 11, 2003. This album displays a different musical approach, and has lost some of the aggressive punk sound of previous albums. AFI's seventh album, Decemberunderground was released on May 29th, 2006 in the UK and June 6th, 2006 in the US. The album displayed an even larger change in sound for AFI, featuring many more electronic and new wave elements.

ALBUMS

1995 - Answer That and Stay Fashionable

1996 - Very Proud of Ya

1997 - Shut Your Mouth and Open Your Eyes

1999 - Black Sails in the Sunset

2000 - The Art of Drowning

2003 - Sing the Sorrow

2006 - Decemberunderground

EP'S

1993 - Dork

1993 - Behind the Times EP

1994 - Eddie Picnic's All Wet live EP

1994 - This Is Berkeley, Not West Bay EP

1995 - Bombing the Bay

1995 - Fly in the Ointment

1995 - AFI/Heckle Split

1998 - A Fire Inside EP

1999 - Black Sails EP

1999 - All Hallow's EP

2001 - The Days of the Phoenix EP

2002 - 336