“A butterfly was seen by a glider pilot at 11,000 feet. They may fly higher...”

Losers began as an idea with two kindred spirits in the countryside studio of one of the noughties most interesting and underrated bands, The Cooper Temple Clause. The idea pupated, other musicians became involved, two kindred spirits became three and a butterfly emerged, beautiful, ready to take to the wind. 

Two albums into their career, they moved to Berlin, to be more inspired and signed a publishing deal with BMG. The idea pupated once more and the butterfly that emerged was darker, but much more powerful. 

The beauty and power of Losers has been acknowledged by some of the most beautiful and powerful TV shows for the Netflix generation. Game Of Thrones, The Blacklist, Reign, Black Sails, just part of a long list of epic and often groundbreaking television series that have used Losers music. 

The momentum that the band garnered in their Berlin studio under the production gaze of multi-instrumentalist Tom Bellamy was breathtaking and saw their music also used by high impact films like Hercules and Upgrade (from the director of the Saw franchise). 

But things don’t always go the way you want them to. The darkness of the Brandenburg forest, the isolation of the studio deep in that forest and the consequent downward spiral of all three members of the band saw the toughest couple of years imaginable and an album, ‘How To Ruin Other People’s Futures’, which reflected this pain and despair. 

Through their pain, Losers found an opportunity to grow, to transform and for them, the only way out was up. What emerged was the most spectacular butterfly the band could have ever envisaged and a journey ahead that continues to be unstoppable. With Paul Mullen’s soaring vocals taking them ever higher,

Losers decided to galvanize the live band into a two piece which is where they find themselves today. More focused, free and poised for anything that gets in their way. 

Thanks to long time collaborators like Damian Taylor (Björk, UNKLE, The Killers, Arcade Fire and Austra), and Dan Austin (Doves, Massive attack) Losers music sounds more expansive than ever. There is a balance that was missing before. The rage has turned to wisdom and the despair to hope. Their songs now look less within themselves and more at the world around them, a world in balance, with joy and sadness, with clarity and confusion, with contrast and with color. 

Losers are about to fly, and this time, they may never come down.

Ari Afilalo is a celebrated writer, author and a philosopher who is also an active member of the Sephardic Jewish community in the New York city.

Rock and Roll band from Brooklyn New York.

Followers of Leire