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. 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. 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.

TR/ST (fka Trust) is the musical alias of producer, singer, and performer Robert Alfons. Born in Winnipeg, Canada (but based in Los Angeles for the past decade), he has released a string of celebrated albums fusing swooning synth-pop, confessional darkwave, and anthemic emotion: TRST (2012), Joyland (2014), The Destroyer - Part One (2019), and The Destroyer – Part Two (2019). In late 2023, TR/ST joined the Dais Records roster, announcing the union with the release of the single “Robrash”, while hinting at more new music ahead. January 2024 sees the release of the new, minimally titled “TR/ST EP”, featuring four new tracks in addition to “Robrash” : the new dancefloor heater “Run” featuring Canadian hyperpop star Cecile Believe, a beautiful cover of the Pet Shop Boys classic 1990 anthem “Being Boring” featuring Jake Shears, the delicate and gauzy nearly-ambient composition “Evercall”, and an official release of the fan favorite “Slug”, previously only released to YouTube in 2015. Alfons confirms he is in the studio working on a new album, expanding their singular sound in ways both cinematic and surprising: “Bigger, better, beautiful, and buried in mud.”