blue october
Blue October’s Newest Honors the Album Journey
In this world, there are two kinds of people: those who listen to a whole album start to finish–and those who are about to become converts. Blue October’s newest, Spinning the Truth Around Part I, is bringing back the transportive experience of the old-school album journey with the first of a two-part expansive opus released on October 14th. The double album (Part II is coming out next spring) marks a significant turning point in the band’s decades-long canon. From its opening title track, the album takes us on a sonic interpretation of one of life’s greatest trials—two people growing apart—from the painful start through to its (eventual) “triumphant” outcome. While the chrysalis-to-butterfly/phoenix-rising-from-the-ashes theme is hardly new, Blue October has created a full story expe...
Blue October’s Justin Furstenfeld’s Sober, Peaceful Life
“That’s what I’m all about–on my bio everywhere–it says ‘recovery advocate’,” Blue October frontman Justin Furstenfeld tells me, adding, “It’s my responsibility to share my experience of strength and hope about recovery.” May 10, 2022 marked one full decade of sobriety for the singer/songwriter/producer/actor, whose recovery journey was poignantly recorded in 2020’s Get Back Up, a documentary made with the specific intention of inspiring others. “I wanted kids in rehab to see for once that somebody lived,” he says, hoping it could counter other well-known stories of tragedy and loss to addiction in the music industry. “I was so sick of seeing all my favorite people go, that I wanted to say, ‘Man, well, how cool would it be if you could capture six years of sobriety on tape and then give it...
A Day in the Life of…Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October
When he was in the first grade, Justin Furstenfeld’s teacher asked her students to write a poem about something they loved. “I came back the next day with a song written about a kite stuck in a tree,” the Blue October frontman tells me. “I sang it in front of the class and the teacher, Mrs. Sham, said I had a gift. She asked me to sing it in the cafeteria for the school at lunchtime. So, I did. And the moment I grabbed that microphone I knew this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” Flash forward to 1996, Justin and his brother Jeremy—with multi-instrumentalist Ryan Delahoussaye—form Blue October, unaware that the following decades will bring a string of seminal singles, including 2006’s “Hate Me”, consistently noted as one of alt-rock’s best. 2022 brings a much anticipated, ye...
5 Albums I Can’t Live Without: Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October
Name Justin Furstenfeld Best known for Frontman of Blue October Current city San Marcos, TX Really want to be in My dream city would be Prague or New York City. New York to live and work as a musician/poet/actor/playwright. Prague, I would love to own a loft where I can go to unwind and be inspired with romance and architecture. Excited about I’m excited about the new songs Blue October is currently working on. We’ll be in the studio in January and February recording this new album. I’m also excited about touring overseas next March and then coming back home to tour with the Goo Goo Dolls next summer. My record collection Is packed full of old jazz and classical like Dave Brubeck, Chet Baker and Mendelssohn. I love sampling jazz a...
62 Musicians Predict the 2021 Baseball Season
Somehow, some way, it’s baseball season again. Yes, already. Last year’s abbreviated run saw the Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the Tampa Bay Rays in six games to win their first World Series title in 32 years, something that Ben Gibbard predicted in our 2020 preview. As you can imagine, Dodgers fans — especially the ones below — are in great spirits heading into the 2021 season. So what does that mean about this year? Absolutely nothing. As COVID restrictions start to loosen and with more fans allowed back into stadiums, excitement is beginning to buzz, especially with our group of experts. Like last time, many are hopeful that this will be their team’s year. We searched far and wide to get predictions for the upcoming Major League Baseball season, creating a proper barometer of what these su...
