Ahren Stringer, former bassist and vocalist of The Amity Affliction, is set to face a Victorian court this month following a high-speed driving incident.
Per Blunt, sources suggested the incident involved very high speed, understood to be around 190km/h. They said there was no drink driving charge laid, with Stringer reportedly declining a roadside breath test in favour of a blood test.
He is due to appear before the Benalla Magistrates’ Court on April 21st for a criminal matter hearing, where a guilty plea is expected to be formally entered. Sentencing or further proceedings are likely to follow.
The court date comes shortly after Stringer publicly addressed his departure from The Amity Affliction, speaking in an interview promoting his new project, Self Checkout.
Reflecting on the personal struggles that led to the end of his more than 20-year tenure with the band, he said: “Since then I’ve cleaned myself up, I’m taking more stronger antidepressants and antipsychotics, stuff that I never really knew that I needed. Having that time off to focus on myself, rather than just run myself into the ground like I’ve done so many times.”
Stringer’s exit in 2025 was quickly followed by a trademark dispute. Documents published by IP Australia, the federal government agency that administers intellectual property rights and legislation for patents, trademarks, and design rights, revealed both parties are engaged in a battle over the band’s name and its use across recordings and related materials.
According to the filings, Stringer submitted separate trademark applications for “The Amity Affliction” and “Amity Affliction” under Class 41 (covering music production, publishing, and entertainment services) and Class 9 (covering audio recordings).
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Despite the public split, a recent report suggested Stringer remains financially tied to the band. Corporate filings showed the company behind The Amity Affliction entered a formal restructuring process last year to manage nearly $650,000 in debt, leaving Stringer as both a co-owner and director. The majority of the reported $646,000 debt is owed to the Australian Taxation Office, with a repayment plan of approximately $512,000 scheduled over three years.
Following his departure, Stringer launched Self Checkout, though the project was interrupted when he was hospitalised in September 2025 due to what the group described as a “serious and unexpected emergency”.
Meanwhile, in a recent interview with Rolling Stone AU/NZ, frontman Joel Birch said The Amity Affliction are focused on the future, with a new album, House of Cards, set for release later this month.
“I think that me and Dan [Brown] were on the same page for this one where we just wanted to do what people love about the band,” Birch said. “And I mean, that’s just screaming and a big chorus. It’s what we’ve done forever. We just wanted to make sure they were good ones… It’s the first [time] I’ve ever enjoyed recording. Ever.”
