Scripted Failures is a music blog based out of Huntsville, AL focusing mostly on indie rock. Currently, there are two writers for the blog, both members of a band of the same name. The blog was started as a musical outlet for us to talk about music and keep our fans and friends up to date on what was going on the indie world. Every now and then the blog will mention the band, but we try to keep the topics on other people’s music. If you’re interested in hearing the band, you can visit MySpace or Facebook. Feel free to add us as a friend. Below you’ll find the (long) history Scripted Failures.
Scripted Failures (SF) started as the musical endeavors of two musicians, Jim Craft and Justin Edwards, who met in 1993 while attending the same Junior High School. Jim originally formed the band Apollo XI in 1999 as a solo endeavor, multi-tracking acoustic and electric guitar, and long with drums, and vocals. Originally intended to be for live purposes, he invited Justin to play drums and a mutual friend, James Pruitt, to play bass guitar. They played post-punk indie rock in Huntsville, AL, through the summer of 2000, before Jim moved to Birmingham, AL for college. Apollo XI released one EP entitled Those Who Wait in the December of 2000.
In the meantime, Jim and Justin were involved in an experimental math-rock project called Jump the Dawn Sunset. In an improvisational practice session in the Spring of 2001, JTDS stumbled upon a new sound they now describe as new wave indie rock. Apollo XI dissolved as their interest in post-punk dwindled, and Justin and Jim re-formed as Scripted Failures in March of 2001.
Writing and recording whenever Jim was in town, and even across the 100 miles, SF released their debut self-titled 4-song demo EP in December of 2001. In the Summer of 2002, they played their first show in Sheffield, AL at Muscle Shoals Music Hall and, shortly after, began their first full-length to be titled We Live Mostly for This. Unfortunately, the project eventually got scrapped, as both Jim and Justin were involved in car crashes and family crises. Recording difficulties took their toll, and WLMFT never saw the light of day. Most of the songs from WLMFT have lived on, and have as-yet-unreleased demos floating around Huntsville on various CDR’s.
In late 2002, they had written a lot of new songs, and decided to get back to the studio to record. In order to make sure they didn’t get into another situation like the previous summer, they decided to limit themselves to another EP. In the Spring of 2003, they had finished the EP that was to be known as The Start of a Long Decline EP. This EP proved to be their successful endeavor, as they began playing shows around town to promote it. The first show was at Wherehouse Music in Huntsville, AL, with their high school friends The Snake the Cross the Crown (from Santa Barbara, CA, on Equal Vision Records) and local bands Drag Down First and Harbor Skyline. The show marked the beginning of SF’s new live sound. After meeting former Huntsville band The Timebombs, they played many shows with them at various local venues. During this period, SF decided they needed to remix and rework The Start of a Long Decline. They removed two songs, added two new songs, and re-released it as Means and Ends. This EP was the best recordings they were able to achieve at that point in their lives, and they sold and even gave it to anyone and everyone they could.
When The Timebombs broke up, SF was left with few show contacts and, after a long hiatus, decided to focus on getting their music heard by record labels. They got packages together to send their demo to 40 labels that they admired, and waited to hear back. Fortune struck when Velvet Blue Music out of Huntington Beach, CA, contacted them about using one of their tracks on an upcoming Unsigned Band Compilation. They agreed, and the compilation was released in early 2006.
In late 2007, the Scripted Failures blog was started. Shortly afterward, friend Alex White moved back home and has officially joined as a third member of the band. Scripted Failures is currently working on recording new versions of songs that were never released, as well as writing and recording new songs. They plan on releasing their first full-length in 2008.