A.F.I.’s early steps in the music industry, much like their still relatively young biography, were modest and almost unnoticeable. As modest as the band members themselves, who were always driven by emotions, as evidenced by their expressive and meaningful name, A Fire Inside. This internal fire, which neither fate nor years of obscurity could extinguish, eventually led the band to the undeniable success they experienced in 2003 with the release of their sixth studio album, Sing the Sorrow.
As active supporters of punk revival, the Californian band A.F.I. (short for A Fire Inside) first emerged in 1991. At the time, the four future members were finishing school in the small town of Ukiah. The initial lineup included vocalist Davey Havok, guitarist Markus Stopholese, bassist Vick, and drummer Adam Carson. Fame was not in sight; the young musicians didn’t even know how to play properly yet. Their quiet town had no signs of a vibrant music scene or any underground movement. Eventually, listening to punk rock and skateboarding all the time became boring. A.F.I. entertained themselves and the local youth by organizing shows with other aspiring bands at open-air venues.
After several months of rehearsals, Vick left the band and was replaced by bassist Geoff Kresge. A few hot local shows fueled A.F.I.’s appetite, and they took the risk of recording in a studio (funding it themselves, of course). The first release was a 7-inch record, with one side featuring A.F.I. and the other featuring a kindred band, Loose Change (where their future guitarist Jade Puget was playing at the time). Distribution was limited to selling the records to schoolmates and placing a few dozen copies in local music stores. Soon after, they released a few more EPs, including Behind the Times (1992), marking the end of the first chapter in A.F.I.’s history.
School was over, and it was time to find a profession, so the four friends went their separate ways to continue college. Only Geoff Kresge remained committed to music, moving to New Jersey to play with Blanks 77. It seemed that A.F.I. had no future. But life took an unexpected turn. Reuniting during Christmas break, the band decided to jam for old times’ sake and play another show. The reception was so enthusiastic that it made them reconsider. As vocalist Davey Havok admitted years later, stepping onto the stage is one of the best experiences of his life: “We’ve been doing this for so long, and we can honestly say there’s nothing better for us. Playing the music you love every night — that’s a dream. Sure, sometimes you feel bad, sometimes you get really tired, but I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
The decision to leave school and fully commit to a music career came naturally. The quartet of Havok, Stopholese, Kresge, and Carson started again. They began rehearsing and building their repertoire. Many of the bands they had listened to since childhood influenced their tastes and sound: Germs, Black Flag, Bad Religion, 7 Seconds, Negative Approach, Jane’s Addiction, The Cure, Bauhaus, The Smiths, Rancid, and Guns N’ Roses. A few singles released to whet their appetite helped them secure a contract with the Nitro label. The album Very Proud of Ya was released in 1996. Fast hardcore riffs, simple melodies, and lyrics about disappointment and lost illusions (“I can’t be a part of your world”) showed a passionate desire to convey raw energy, but little individuality. It was the band’s second album; their debut, Answer That & Stay Fashionable, which initially went unnoticed, was re-released the following year. In ’97, the quartet also released their third album, Shut Your Mouth & Open Your Eyes. As usual, the release was supported by an extensive touring schedule — the band valued live interaction with the audience above all else. “Nothing is more important than touring,” says drummer Adam Carson. “We gained most of our fans through endless tours. In the first five years, we played hundreds of shows, sometimes to only three or four people. We just fought to get noticed. If at least two people came to our first show in a city, we’d come back until we got 10 people, then 30, and eventually hundreds and thousands. We were determined to be noticed.”
In 1995, they embarked on their first full American tour and continued to cross the U.S. several times a year, both headlining and supporting bands like Offspring, Rancid, Snapcase, Vandals, and others. In 1998, the band’s atmosphere no longer suited bassist Geoff Kresge, who was replaced by Hunter (formerly of The Force). When guitarist Markus Stopholese left, A.F.I. brought in Jade Puget, a former member of Redemption 87. The new lineup tested their studio skills on the A Fire Inside EP (1998) before working on a full-length studio album. The album Black Sails in the Sunset came out in 1999. Puget’s guitar technique, along with his significant contribution to the album’s music, greatly enriched the band’s sound. The release was followed by the EP All Hallow. This marked a turning point for the band, as they finally experienced success and widespread attention.
A cover version of their song Totalimmortal performed by Offspring featured in the movie Me, Myself & Irene and gained airplay on rock radio stations across America. It took them so long to reach this point that adjusting to success was challenging. “I couldn’t bear hearing — and still can’t — our songs on the radio,” admits bassist Hunter. “Even now, it’s hard to accept that our tracks get airplay just because of their quality. It still surprises me that so many good things are happening to us. We earned this on our own, and honestly, I still haven’t fully gotten used to it.”
As always, A.F.I. continued with their busy touring schedule to support Black Sails in the Sunset, performing shows in Canada, Europe, and Japan. They also participated in the Warped Tour several times. Their fifth album, Art of Drowning, with its intricate guitar riffs and pounding percussion, was released in 2000. Standout tracks included old-school punk anthems like Ever and a Day and Of Greetings and Goodbyes. The album marked their first significant commercial success, with Art of Drowning charting on several American lists. It reached a modest spot in the Billboard 200 but climbed to 33 in the Independent Albums chart.
Despite continuously exploring new sounds with each album, their fans remained loyal. “We’ve always been able to do what we want,” says guitarist Jade Puget. “We’re not interested in writing the same music repeatedly. It’s far more exciting to try new things. That’s important to us and our fans. For us, it’s about making our sound unique; for our fans, it’s about following our changes and guessing which direction we’ll go next.” Part of their promotional tour saw them supporting Rancid. When they headlined their own U.S. tour, they were surprised to find some shows, like those in Detroit, sold out in advance.
In the new millennium, A.F.I. found a common creative ground with Butch Vig (producer for Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins) and recorded several tracks together. In March 2003, the band debuted once again, this time on the major label DreamWorks, with the album Sing the Sorrow. The producers carefully preserved the band’s signature sound, maintaining the fierce core of Californian hardcore. The songs became longer, the melodies more varied and appealing, enriched with surprising lyrical passages amid familiar punk energy and dark melancholy. The promotional support of the major label, Butch Vig’s (and Jerry Finn’s) production, and the band’s growing maturity paid off. Sing the Sorrow became the band’s most successful release: Top 5 on the American pop chart, Top 5 in Canada, and Top 10 on the internet chart. All three singles from the album, Girl’s Not Grey, The Leaving Song Pt. II, and Silver and Cold, received strong radio play and reached the top 40 of the American rock chart.
Whatever challenges life threw at them, the members of A.F.I. always stayed true to themselves. “We’ve never had any other choice but to achieve everything on our own,” explains Havok. “We never made grand plans or expected much help from anyone. Thanks to this work ethic, we grew slowly but naturally. And if anyone suddenly starts wondering what we’re doing now (Whether it’s Nitro, DreamWorks, or anyone else), they understand that they won’t be able to break us, no matter how much they want to.