Our Exclusive Interview with AFI

As promised, here is our interview with AFI, conducted over the last week via e-mail. Because of the band's busy schedule, we did not receive replies for all of the questions we sent, but here are the seven answers that we did receive:

AFI News HQ: Beautiful Thieves is rumored to be the next single. Is this true, and do you expect you'll film a video for the song?

Adam: It's true. Beautiful Thieves will be the next single and we plan to shoot a video in the next few weeks. We haven't chosen a director yet and we're still in the process of brainstorming ideas and soliciting treatments. It's a very cinematic song so I expect we have our work cut out to make the video look as grand as the song is. (Editor's note: we received this answer one week ago, well before it had ever been publically stated by the band. Click here for that post.)

AFI News HQ: What has been your favorite moment on this tour so far? Of all your past tours?

Davey: The first thing that springs to mind was the backstage after-show hang at Roseland. So many of my dear friends from both CA and NYC converged, and it was great to spend time with them. Past tours are too numerous to pick a single favorite moment.

AFI News HQ: What are your favorite books and movies from the past decade?

Davey: I'll go with this year because the decade is too much for me to contemplate right now. My favorite film of 09 is 500 days of Summer, and I quite enjoyed Russel Brand's autobiography.

AFI News HQ: If you could pick any venue (any size, anywhere in the world) to play, along with two bands of your own choosing, where would you play, and with which bands?

Jade: I would pick the Cavern Club, circa 1963, with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. I'm not sure how our stuff would go over back then, it'd probably be like that scene at the end of Back to the Future where Michael J. Fox is playing at the prom and he starts shredding and wailing and all the 50's kids, including Biff and George McFly, are just sort of staring in awe and fear.

AFI News HQ: Is there any chance of us hearing any of the Crash Love B-side songs live? Too Late For Gods, We've Got The Knife, etc. On that note, do you think you'll ever play songs such as Reivers Music or Synesthesia live?

Davey: Our catalogue is so vast that it's hard to insert b-sides when there are so many album tracks to play within a set. I wouldn't deem it impossible that we may someday play some of the CL bsides, but I don't think it will happen anytime soon. Personally I have no interest in doing Reivers or Synthesthsia. I'd much rather do Jack the Ripper or The View From Here.

AFI News HQ: Jade, you talked about writing some new AFI songs on the tour bus. Are these songs thematically similar of different from the songs on Crash Love?

Jade: I actually haven't written any new songs on the AFI tour bus as of yet (although I HAVE written a few Blaqk Audio songs), but thanks for reminding me, I'm going to write a new AFI song today, here in Dallas, on the tour bus. The theme will be significant shredding and a formidable and alarming chord structure.

AFI News HQ: If you had to pick one song that you feel best identifies AFI as a band, what would it be? Pick just one song, please.

Adam: This question is impossible... Maybe Death of Seasons? When deconstructed, it is all over the place musically and vocally has a huge range of emotion. At times it's melodic and at times discordant. It's fast and aggressive and then slow, quiet and moody. And all tied together with a hooky chorus. Kind of trademark AFI stuff really...

That's all. We hope you enjoyed the interview. Obviously, it was a very exciting experience for us. Thanks to all who submitted questions. If we get any more answers, we'll post them here!