AFI have shared “Tied To A Tree”, the latest track from their eagerly awaited new album “Bodies”, due on June 11 via Rise Records.
“This is not only my favorite song on the record, but an exemplification of the evolution of the band,” guitarist Jade Puget says.
Last week, AFI launched a remix contest for its recent single “Dulcería”. The contest can be found within The Bodies Experience interactive 360-degree web site, where fans can download song stems and create their own take on the track. Top submissions will be showcased online and will win exclusive prizes, including a “golden ticket” to future AFI shows. Deadline for entry is Friday, June 4 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
The band also recently unveiled The Ritual Collection, a new line of merch that can be found exclusively in The Bodies Experience. This includes a special deck of oracle cards (with one card for each song), soy prayer candles and incense — all fitting counterparts to the dark and brooding new track. The artwork for the “Tied To A Tree” visualizer is based on the art found on the oracle card deck.
AFI are leaders, not followers. A collective in a perpetual state of creative evolution as fluid as the evocative figures contorting on the cover of “Bodies”, their newest collection of songs. The record is a snapshot of unrelenting artists in motion, unconcerned with compromise or outside demands.
AFI’s unshakeable connection with their audience is a testament to the band’s knack for reinvention, renewal, and exploration, anchored by an unblemished authenticity. AFI songs are embedded in the spiritual DNA of a legion of supporters and “Bodies” is further demonstration of AFI’s unwavering commitment to artistic exploration, a dark conjuration of an uncapturable muse. The album was produced by the band’s own Jade Puget, mixed by Tony Hoffer (M83, PHOENIX, SILVERSUN PICKUPS), and mastered by Vlado Meller (OASIS, PINK FLOYD).
The band initially summoned a steady subcultural groundswell in the mid-’90s, devoid of careerist ambitions. The band first made music as teenaged misfits in an obscure Northern California town, steadily assembling a dense catalog over the years marked by its diversity and authenticity.
“AFI is such an integral part of who I am. What we do with AFI together is a foundation for me,” explains Havok. “Coming back is a return to a home I’ve always known.”
It’s a sentiment shared by the entire band. “I couldn’t do what I do in AFI in any other place,” observes Puget. “Davey and I have written songs together for over 20 years now. I couldn’t find the thing he and I have together anywhere else, nor the thing the four of us have when we come together. AFI is home for me and will always be that.”
“At this point, it’s not even a choice. It’s just what I do,” drummer Adam Carson concurs. “I started this band with Davey when I was 16. It’s something that I love so much. It’s just a part of me.”
“Every album is an opportunity to show people a snapshot of our evolution,” adds bassist Hunter Burgan. “And with this band, it’s always something fresh. We’ve been playing together for so long that I have a deep understanding of each of my bandmates‘ musical styles, and yet I am still pleasantly surprised by the new things they bring to each record.”
“Anyone who knows our catalog knows that no two records really sit together,” Puget points out. “Some sit a little closer, maybe. We do certain things, just by virtue of who we are, that are consistent, but those things come about organically. Every time we do something, I have to judge it on its own merits. Some fans are going to judge a new album, or a new song, based on what’s come before. But as artists, we can’t do that, because it would only hinder our creativity.”
AFI never stepped into the mainstream; the masses came to them. The platinum success of “Sing The Sorrow” blazed a path for a generation of hardcore-punk weaned bands to similarly crossover. 2006’s “Decemberunderground” upended expectations again and earned AFI a second platinum plaque. “Crash Love” was another adventurous turn, with expansive and almost optimistic-sounding melodies, glistening with emotion. The haunting “Burials” arrived four years later, debuting in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. The self-titled follow-up, commonly referred to as “The Blood Album,” became AFI’s second-highest charting album since their inception, debuting at No. 5 in 2017. After the release of “AFI” (The Blood Album), the band was hardly content to rest on its laurels. AFI then released yet another highly praised addition to their discography, 2018’s “The Missing Man” EP.
“Bodies” track listing:
01. Twisted Tongues
02. Far Too Near
03. Dulcería
04. On Your Back
05. Escape From Los Angeles
06. Begging For Trouble
07. Back From The Flesh
08. Looking Tragic
09. Death Of The Party
10. No Eyes
11. Tied To A Tree