A long-in-the-works documentary about the alt-rock band Failure — whose three Nineties albums fomented a cult following that eventually sparked an ongoing, decade-long reunion — will finally see release this month.
Every Time You Lose Your Mind, directed by the band’s singer/multi-instrumentalist Ken Andrews, will premiere on both Hulu and Disney+ on June 27, nearly a decade after the documentary about Failure was first announced.
“Our fans have connected with the themes of depression and addiction in our music,” Andrews said in a statement. “The film crystallizes those connections and, ultimately, communicates hope. We’re a band that faced a specific set of challenges and somehow managed to survive and thrive. It’s a story about resilience, finding ways to cope, and not giving up.”
Formed in 1990 by Andrews and guitarist Greg Edwards, Failure released their Steve Albini-produced debut album Comfort in 1991. The band, now joined by drummer Kellii Scott, would release two more acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful LPs — 1994’s Magnified and the 1996 space rock epic Fantastic Planet — before disbanding in the late Nineties.
Following the breakup, Edwards formed Autolux and Andrews moved into music production, but the cult following surrounding the band’s albums — including support from famous fans like Hayley Williams — led to Failure’s finally reuniting in 2014. The band has remained together, releasing three more studio albums over the past 10 years.
Every Time You Lose Your Mind features interviews with friends and collaborators like the late Albini, Tool’s Maynard James Keenan, and Butch Vig, as well as high-profile fans like Jason Schwartzmann, David Dastmalchian, and Hayley Williams; the Paramore singer recently performed Failure songs alongside Andrews at a Los Angeles wildfires fundraiser.
In addition to the Hulu stream, Every Time You Lose Your Mind will have its big-screen premiere at Los Angeles’ Harmony Gold Theater on June 26, with the screening also featuring a rare acoustic set performed by Failure. The group is also booked to play Louisville’s Louder Than Life and Sacramento’s Aftershock Festivals later this year.
