The Amity Affliction’s Ownership Battle: What Their Share Structure Means for the Future

The dust is nowhere near settled on Ahren Stringer’s dramatic split from The Amity Affliction. Tonight, the band issued a final statement, making it clear that Ahren will never tour or record with them again, citing a total breakdown in their relationship and ‘certain behaviours’ that they could no longer tolerate.

But while the band may have drawn a hard line musically, there’s another problem lurking beneath the surface—the business side of things isn’t so simple.

Ahren is Still a Co-Owner of The Amity Affliction

Most fans think of The Amity Affliction as just the band members on stage, but legally, The Amity Affliction Pty Ltd is a registered company—and Ahren Stringer still owns a major stake in it. According to official records from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the company is structured as follows:

• 100 shares in total (essentially, ownership of the business is divided into 100 parts).
• Joel Birch owns 25 shares outright.
• Ahren Stringer owns 25 shares outright.
• The remaining 50 shares are jointly owned by both Joel and Ahren.

This means that, despite his departure from the band, Ahren is still legally part-owner of The Amity Affliction as a business entity—and that could cause some major complications moving forward.

The Joint Ownership Problem

The biggest headache here is the jointly held 50 shares. This isn’t like two people owning their own separate shares—these 50 shares are tied to both Joel and Ahren. What does that mean?

• Neither Joel nor Ahren can unilaterally sell or transfer these shares without the other agreeing.
• If Joel wants to restructure the band’s business without Ahren, he’d need to either negotiate a buyout or take legal action.
• If Ahren wants to hold onto his stake and stay involved financially, he technically can—even though he’s no longer in the band.

Basically, unless there’s a clean break or legal intervention, The Amity Affliction’s business dealings could get very messy.

Could Joel Just Start a New Company?

Fans might wonder: why doesn’t Joel just start a new company and move forward without Ahren? Well, it’s not that easy.

• If The Amity Affliction Pty Ltd owns the band’s trademarks, streaming revenue, and merchandise contracts, those assets can’t just be transferred to a new entity without Ahren’s involvement.
• If Joel tries to sidestep Ahren by shifting everything into a new company, Ahren could take legal action for shareholder oppression.
• Any record label or merch contracts signed under the existing company would likely still include Ahren unless formally renegotiated.

Essentially, the band can keep touring and making music, but from a business perspective, they’re stuck in limbo until this gets resolved.

What Happens Next?

There are a few ways this could go down:

1. A Buyout Negotiation – The cleanest solution would be for Joel and the remaining members to buy Ahren out of his shares. This would give them full control, but Ahren would have to agree on a price.
2. Legal Action – If negotiations fail, the band could try to force Ahren out through the courts, arguing that his behaviour has harmed the business. This is costly and could drag on for years.
3. Business Deadlock – If neither side backs down, The Amity Affliction Pty Ltd could become a business nightmare, with Ahren still entitled to part of the band’s income despite not being in the lineup.
4. Dissolving the Company & Starting Fresh – In an extreme move, the band could shut down the company and start a new one, but this would require untangling all contracts and assets, making it a complicated process.

The Bottom Line

Ahren may be out of the band, but he’s still deeply tied to The Amity Affliction’s business. Until there’s a financial settlement or legal intervention, this split is far from over. Fans might not see it, but behind the scenes, the band isn’t just dealing with a personal falling-out—they’re stuck in a corporate dispute that could shape the future of The Amity Affliction for years to come.

For now, the music will continue—but the business battle is just beginning.