Jade Puget: AFI, Creating Their Signature Sound & Surviving Mainstream Success

In this highly anticipated next chapter with one of our favorite bands, HardLore is finally joined by Jade Puget: the man who was instrumental in defining the iconic AFI sound. Featuring special guest co-host Alec Faber of God’s Hate, Twitching Tongues and Holy Blade.

Following our legendary two part special with Davey Havok, we’re honored to share Jade’s side of the greater AFI story… Starting from the beginning with Jade discovering punk & hardcore in Ukiah, CA alongside his brother Smith, his days in Redemption 87, joining AFI and creating their definitive sound with his work on Black Sails in the Sunset, the surprising legacy of the All Hallows EP, his (and the band’s) frustrations with Nitro Records, the opportune timing of Art of Drowning, the cultural phenomenon of Sing the Sorrow and continuing success of Decemberunderground, the agony of Crash Love, the triumph of Burials, all the way to re-defining the AFI sound with Silver Bleeds the Black Sun.

It was an honor and a joy to finally chat about all things AFI and hardcore with Jade, and we can only hope you enjoy this 3 hour chat as much as we did.

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HardLore: A Knotfest Series, fueled by Monster Energy.

Shot, edited and mixed by Steven Grise

Title sequence by Nicholas Marzluf

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00:00:00 - Start

00:01:38 - Jade Puget

00:03:10 - Discovering Punk and Hardcore in Ukiah

00:06:28 - Skateboarding & The Muhammad Ollie

00:12:57 - Straight Edge & The Way It Is Compilation

00:18:05 - Redemption 87

00:24:21 - Becoming Aware of AFI

00:28:04 - Joining AFI & Writing BLACK SAILS IN THE SUNSET

00:34:30 - Jade’s Favorite Fret & Restraint in Songwriting

00:38:03 - The AFI Sound

00:43:10 - All Hallows EP

00:51:01 - AFI, Danzig, Samhain Tour

00:57:38 - Art Of Drowning

01:06:36 - Commercial Success And Overall Shock

01:09:20 - SING THE SORROW & Slowing Down the AFI

Sound

01:13:20 - Jerry Finn & Butch Vig

01:21:21 - Sing The Sorrow’s Electronics (Fruity Loops)

01:26:48 - Leaving Song 2 & Initially Hearing Sing the Sorrow Finished

01:31:34 - MTV New Years Eve With Three Six Mafia

01:32:59 - Leaving Song 2 Video

01:37:46 - Sing The Sorrow’s Release Into DECEMBERUNDERGROUND

01:44:17 - Picking the Singles for DECEMBERUNDERGROUND

01:47:59 - Butch Vig Declining to Work on the Album

01:50:54 - Writing 120 Songs & The “Hardcore Club”

01:57:00 - The Whirlwind of Decemberunderground into the Agony of CRASH LOVE

02:01:15 - Blaqk Audio/Crash Love Coinciding and “Stripping Down” AFI

02:11:51 - Sing The Sorrow At The Forum

02:17:25 - The Triumph of BURIALS

02:24:13 - The Blood Album & Producing AFI

02:28:18 - Silver Bleeds the Black Sun & Evolving the AFI Sound

02:39:22 - BODIES & AFI in 2020

02:43:05 - Birdlegs & Getting His Revelation Star

02:46:23 - Jade's Insane Chipotle Order lololololol

02:51:51 - Top 4 Hardcore Records

02:54:22 - A Les Paul Epilogue For Bo