May it Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers debuting January 29th.
Founded by Scott and Seth Avett and Bob Crawford in 2001, The Avett Brothers have gone from obscurity to critical acclaim and sold-out tours, experiencing profound heartbreak and exceptional joy along the way.
Filmed with extensive access over more than two years, MAY IT LAST: A PORTRAIT OF THE AVETT BROTHERS is
an inside look at the North Carolina band, from its origins to a recent
collaboration with legendary record producer Rick Rubin (Johnny Cash,
Jay Z, Beastie Boys, Dixie Chicks) on the Grammy-nominated album “True
Sadness.” The film depicts a lifelong bond and unique creative
partnership, as band members experience marriage, divorce, parenthood,
illness and the challenges of the music business, offering a meditation
on family, love and the passage of time. An Apatow Production (HBO’s
“Crashing” and “Girls”) in association with RadicalMedia (HBO’s
“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory”), MAY IT LAST was produced and directed by
Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, and debuts MONDAY, JAN. 29 (8:00-9:45
p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.
The film will also be available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, HBO GO and affiliate portals.
Featuring a wealth of original footage of the Avetts in the studio, on
the road and at home, previously unseen family photographs and home
movies, never-before-heard original songs and rousing concert
performances, the intimate film includes revealing interviews with Scott
(banjo, lead vocals) and Seth (guitar, lead vocals) Avett, band members
Bob Crawford (bass), Joe Kwon (cello), Tania Elizabeth (fiddle), Paul
Defiglia (keyboards) and Mike Marsh (drums), Rick Rubin and friends and
family. MAY IT LAST shows how the ties between Scott and Seth help shape their creative process as musicians and songwriters.
In 2008, after several independent releases, the band signed with
Rubin, who says he recognized something special about the Avetts at
their very first encounter. “In the first 30 seconds of meeting them, I
knew they were people that I wanted to work with, and it seemed like
being around them would make life better,” he recalls, noting they
differ from other sibling musical acts because “they actually like each
other” and have the ability to collaborate on deeply personal lyrics.
Between touring constantly and selling out arenas around the world, MAY
IT LAST finds the brothers working on new songs at Echo Mountain Studios
in Asheville, NC and Rubin’s Shangri La Studio in Malibu, Calif. for
their latest album, “True Sadness.”
The grandsons of a minister, Scott and Seth live down the road from
each other in their Concord, NC hometown, not far from their parents’
house. Four years Scott’s junior, Seth took up guitar as a kid to back
up his brother, who showed an early enthusiasm for singing and
performing. As teens, they rejected country music and the “country
things” of their surroundings like cowboy boots and tractors,
gravitating instead to artists like Hall & Oates, Prince and
Nirvana.
Seth says he “came back to a rural-based country music” after meeting
bluegrass legend Doc Watson. Still, the brothers’ first band, NEMO, was
devoted to heavy rock. They soon started playing acoustic jams, and
added stand-up bass player Bob Crawford, a New Jersey native, who had
only recently taken up the instrument.
MAY IT LAST shows Scott returning from the road to spend time with his
wife, Sarah, and two young children, admitting he dislikes being away
from home more and more. But it’s this time at home with their parents,
sister, Scott’s family and Seth’s girlfriend (actress Jennifer
Carpenter) that fuels the brothers’ creativity. Soon, Scott and Seth
travel to Malibu to record what will be the hit album “True Sadness,”
marking the first time the full touring band has recorded together.
The band’s struggles with illness and divorce have strengthened their
bond and greatly influenced their lyrics. When Crawford’s two-year-old
daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor, band members rallied around
his family in support. Crawford discusses his daughter’s struggles with
cancer, noting how the shared ordeal has pulled the band even closer
together.
The recording of “True Sadness” reveals how the band’s personal lives
are mined for their music, as Seth opens up about songs like “Divorce
Separation Blues” (on the end of his first marriage), underscoring the
honest vulnerability that has cemented their success. Five years after
its release, “I and Love and You,” the Avetts’ major label debut
(produced by Rubin), is certified gold, and “True Sadness,” released on
American Recordings/Republic Records, receives critical raves, earning
two Grammy nominations and fueling the band’s debut at Madison Square Garden.
The band is already working on songs for the next album. In a quiet
moment with Scott, Bob and Rick Rubin, Seth debuts a song he’s been
writing – “C-Sections and Railway Trestles” – about becoming a father
for the first time.
MAY IT LAST had its world premiere at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival, where it received the 24 Beats Per Second Audience Award.
MAY IT LAST: A PORTRAIT OF THE AVETT BROTHERS is an Apatow Production
in association with RadicalMedia; produced and directed by Judd Apatow
and Michael Bonfiglio; executive producers, Jon Kamen, Dave O’Connor,
Justin Wilkes; cinematographer, Jonathan Furmanski; additional
photography, Michael Richard Martin; sound, Brad Bergbom; editor, Paul
Little.