AFI opens an ethereal, dark and deeply emotional chapter in its more than three-decade career.
After a year that was especially close to its Mexican audience—with three presentations in CDMX, including House of Vans and the Crown Capital— AFI come back with Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…his twelfth album and perhaps one of the most atmospheric and conceptual of his entire career. At this stage, the band decided to fully immerse themselves in a dreamlike, ethereal and almost timeless aesthetic, letting new ways of writing and recording take them towards unexpected territories.
We talked with them about their constant reinvention, the creative process behind the album, the emotional state that defines it and the unique relationship they have built with their audience over generations.
Indie Rocks!: After so many stylistic turns throughout your career, what did you represent creatively? Silver Bleeds the Black Sun… for you?
AFI: Before starting to write the album we had a very explicit conversation about where we wanted to go. We all agreed on a general tone and sound that we wanted the album to have, something with continuity. From there we decided on a direction quite close to the final result.
Indie Rocks!: All your albums have had a very marked identity, both in sound and concept. At what moment did you know that this album had found its way?
AFI: It wasn't evident until the end. One of the last songs we wrote was “No One Underground”which closes the album and is quite different from the rest. The album continued to evolve and change. We just let it be, as always: when you make strict plans, they never end up happening. Music takes you somewhere else.
Indie Rocks!: In other interviews you have described the album as an attempt to reconcile with “the godless dystopia of modern life.” How does that translate into lyrics?
AFI: The lyrics attempt to reconcile our existence within that godless world, and do so at a historical moment where that conflict feels even more intense. The entire process—both writing and recording—is itself an exercise in reconciling with that feeling.
Indie Rocks!: How did you choose the instrumental feeling that accompanies those lyrics? What determined whether a topic needed riffs heavier or a calmer atmosphere?
AFI: This album was different because, for the first time, Davey I already had the lyrics written before the music was composed. They were almost poems. Normally the music comes first and then the lyrics are woven around it. This time we brought together two elements that were not born together. It worked surprisingly well and was very rewarding. Having previous letters also allowed us to write better, or at least write in a different, freer and more satisfactory way.
Indie Rocks!: Why did you choose “Behind the Clock” as the first preview of the album?
AFI: On each album there is a song that reveals the heart of the album. “Behind the Clock” It was that song for everyone. There was no discussion. It perfectly set the tone we wanted to present first.
Indie Rocks!: Mexico has always been a very special country for you, and this year you played three times in Mexico City. Does the energy of new generations of fans inspire or influence you in any way?
AFI: It is very flattering when someone brings their child to see us and wants to share something important to them. We don't know if it inspires us directly when we create—because our inspirations come from other places—but it definitely moves us. The simple fact of being here for so many years, to the point of seeing entire generations listening to us together, is something very significant for us.
Indie Rocks!: From his first years distributing flyers Until the era of TikTok and today's immediacy, how have you adapted to these new forms of communication?
AFI: We don't do it (Laughs). Have instagrambut it is something that does not interest us too much. We understand that music circulates like this today, but our focus is always music, not marketing. Fortunately our team helps us with all that.
Indie Rocks!: Today the platforms ask for immediacy, but you still take the time to make complete albums. What does it mean for you to continue working like this?
AFI: Thank you so much. For us it is vital. Taking that time is what allows music to have strength and meaning.
Indie Rocks!: How different is AFI in the studio compared to AFI live?
AFI: Very different. Live there is an exchange of energy with the audience that cannot be replicated, regardless of whether there are hundreds or thousands of people. It is something visceral, emotional, sometimes almost transcendental. In the studio there is a connection with what we are creating, but it is not shared with strangers who have a different relationship with music. That combination—what they feel and what we deliver—is what makes the show a completely different experience.
Indie Rocks!: After more than 30 years of career, what is the secret to not falling into monotony?
AFI: We really enjoy making music. When something starts to sound too familiar, we get bored quickly and change direction. That keeps us moving.
Indie Rocks!: For those who still don't know AFI, what would be the best song to enter your discography?
AFI: “Behind the Clock”. If not, we wouldn't have chosen it as the first single. Of course: if you start there, you will be surprised when you listen to the older records… and if you start with the old ones, you will be surprised with the new ones. AFI always surprises.
Indie Rocks!: Finally, describe AFI in three words. But they can't use “a fire inside.”
AFI: (Laughs). “Aggressive, furious, intense.” “Old shit” also works. A FIRE INSIDE.
