OK, SO, first thing we
need to do is give your
name, what you play in the
band, and what AFI stands for.
Dave: My name is Dave, I sing, and AFI stands for
A Fire Inside.
Hunter: My name is Hunter, I play bass, and AFI
stands for Aggressive Furious Intense.
Adam: My name is Adam, I play drums, and AFI
stands for Asking For It.
Dave: And Mark plays guitar. He thinks AFI
stands for Absent For Interview.
I know you just finished your new album. How
was the process of creating music different on
this one than it was in the past?
A: On this one, all the songs were written within
the same couple of months, which has never been
the case. In the past we've had songs that are
years old mixed in with songs that are totally fresh,
and there's a
's always a big difference. This one feels
more like an entire work that has continuity.
It definitely sounds like a complete continual
work. The music on this new record is heavier
and harder-hitting than the last one. Did
the way it sounds now come out as a
conscious thing, or was it just the natu-
ral result of the fact that you guys were
together for two months straight?
A: It just really documents a certain
period in the history of the band. It is a
little bit heavier, but I think that's just
where' we are right now. It's not any-
thing we really set out to do; it's just
how the songs came together, the way
we're feeling right now.
Is it hard for you guys to write songs
knowing that people are going to
piok them apart?
D: I don't think so. We just do what
we feel, and what comes out is us,
although it's kind of scary when
you're putting yourself out there for
everyone to criticize...to like or to
hate and to have their own opin-
ions about, but we know that what-
ever we create and finalize we're
happy with, and that's what we
like. If people like it that's great
it makes us feel good. And if they
don't, then they can listen to
something else. That's fine. Either way it's okay
with us because we enjoy what we're doing.
With the new record, I know you've been doing a
lot of touring, and you went to Japan for two
weeks. How was Japan? Did you play with local
Japanese bands?
D: Japan was amazing! We played with the
Offspring, which was a great opportunity. And
there were a couple local Japanese bands on the
bill. Everyone over there is really nice-they're gen-
erous, courteous, very enthusiastic, very open to all
sorts of different types of music. The scene over
there is far less segregated. It seems that all kids
who are into the broad "punk" or "hardcore" music
go to all sorts of shows. And they're so into it. We
were with the Offspring and we sound a lot differ-
ent from them, so we weren't sure how we would be
received. But we go out the first night
and there are 3000 kids,
AFI
and the kids were just screaming and going for it-
they were really great. Another thing about Japan is
that it's very nonphysical as far as the dance floor.
There's not really a pit. They all pogo, for one thing-
they all bounce. I mean, the whole room bounces.
The enthusiasm is just amazing.
H: The thing I liked most about the shows over
there is that every single person that's there is
really happy to be there. And they're into the
whole entire show. It's not like here where half the
kids show up and then they walk around, or stand
there. In Japan they all come early, they're all
completely 100% into the show, whether they're in
the back corner or front or wherever.
Do all of you skate? Anybody ever have a ramp, or
are you strictly street?
A: In the summer of '91 we built a ramp in my
backyard. It was a mini ramp, but the the transi-
tions were parallel to like a vert ramp. The build-
ing was OK, but the planning was poor. It was
really tight. It was amazing-really big. We just
took it on and built it without thinking about the
size of the project. We finished it, and it felt great
and we skated it all summer. And then it rained
and after that it was never the same but it was a
great summer.
D: I don't skate as much as I should. I've skated
since I was 8 years old-I suck terribly. I got my first
subscription to Thrasher in '84. I got it for my birth-
day from my mom. And I didn't get any premium
with h it. . I got no shirt, no skate rock, no video,
nothing. They offered it, but I didn't get it.
So what you're saying is Thrasher owes you a
skate rock tape?
D: Yes. I believe it was Skate Rock 2?
What are
are some of the most memorable shows
you've played that stand out as being some of
your favorites?
D: We played with Sick Of It All, Snapcase,
Vision of Disorder, and Ensigne at the Roxy in
New York City about two years ago. It was
absolutely awesome. Playing the Rancid show at
the Fillmore, too. That was so fun. Pretty much
any of our Rancid or Sick Of It All shows.
A: One of my most memorable shows was when
we played with Rancid at Gilman Street. It was
our first show back together-we had broken up
for a small period of time, and we decided that
this is what we wanted to do with our lives, and our
first show back was June 22nd in '94. To play with
Rancid at Gilman Street, you know, which was their
kingdom...There's something about being allowed to
play a show and to open up for people that you truly
admire and love their music-it's just a really great feeling.
Do any of you read books? Who are a couple favorite authors?
D: HP Lovecraft, Anne Rice, John Fonté, Bukowski, and
Clive Barker.
H: I don't know, because most of the books I read are non-fic-
tion. Like how-to books. A good book I have is by François
Truffaut about Alfred Hitchcock.
A: I just read a book that was a collection of Herb Caen's
columns. Herb Caen was a columnist for the San Francisco
Chronicle from 1938 until '94 or '95. It's really down to earth. I try
to take stuff that I can apply to my life.
What are some lessons you could pass on to people who are
starting bands now who are just beginning? What are a couple
things you've learned that would be good advice?
D: Just never stop. Everything sucks at first; no one cares
about you. And if you start out like we did and don't know
how to play your music, no one cares probably because the
music sucks and you can't play. But if you keep with it and
keep playing, and you really want it, eventually you'll be
having a really good time.
A: What I would say is just listen to as many bands as you can;
there's something positive to learn from every band there is.
-Jim Thiebaud
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