Watch Avett Brothers Talk Tragedy, Career in Judd Apatow-Helmed Doc
The Avett Brothers reflect on their formative years in the nostalgic new trailer for May It Last, Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio’s acclaimed documentary about the North Carolina folk-rock band.
“If there was anyone I wanted to start a band with, it was Scott,” co-founder Seth Avett says of his bandmate/brother, as childhood photos flash by. “There are all these bonds that become established when you’re children.”
The quartet – also featuring bassist Bob Crawford and cellist Joe Kwon – muse on the determination that catalyzed their rise to fame. “We were just hillbillies,” Scott Avett says. “We were self-centered hillbillies who thought the world was either gonna come to us or not. And either way, they were missing out.”
The clip works chronologically through the present day, incorporating concert footage, a scene with the Avetts visiting their father back home and snippets of the band working with famed producer Rick Rubin on their latest LP, 2016’s True Sadness.
The preview also touches on the personal challenges – divorce, illnesses, battles in the music industry – the band members have faced since forming in 2000. “We’ve been accused of being fatalist as a band,” Crawford says. “But we’ve seen enough tragedy in our lives, and we know the tragedy comes from out of nowhere.”
May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers, which premiered at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival, will screen for one night only on September 12th at over 250 theaters nationwide. Tickets are on sale now.