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 Blue
October released their debut album The Answers in 1998. They were then signed to Universal Records
for their next offering, Consent to Treatment. Things looked like they were on track. Their
single, Calling You was featured in the movie American Wedding in 2003and then
Texan rockers had truly hit the big time. However fortuned changed as they were
dropped by Universal and lead singer Justin Furstenfeld became addicted
to drugs. But now they're back with their new album Foiled and top twenty hit Hate
Me. Justin gave us the low down.
Hi Justin, how's it going?
It's
going great. I had to take a big ferry across the English
Channel yesterday for the first time. This is my first time in London ever.
How are you finding London then?
It's
beautiful. There's a lot of freedom involved. I was driving around to the hotel
and there were people with flags in the air speaking what they want. That
doesn't happen in America.
People would get killed! I'm gonna try and walk around today and see if I can
get into some trouble.
How would you describe your
relationship with Universal Records now, having been dropped by them before?
It's
perfect. It's like an old girlfriend. The sex is better now! The first time we
were with them was when Korn and Limp Bizkit were huge and we got dropped
because business is business. We're not mad about that at all. It's just when
we came back around there were a lot of labels looking for us and they were in
the group of them. We chose them because they already knew us and they were
honest with us this time around and they had a marketing plan.
How do you reflect on that
experience?
I reflect
on it like I was an idiot and I should have done my homework before. Just because a lot of expect that once you
get signed, you're a star and people tell you that everyday. The last thing I want to become is a star.
When I become a star is when I quit. I
just want to make music. It was just more of, one day you'd be promised
everything and the next day it'd be ‘ta ta', which is ok because business is
business. But this time around I've got a brand new mindset and a brand new
plan in my own head, so it's a lot a better. I've educated myself in my time
off.
What's it like being from Texas?
It's
great. We love Texas
just because everybody's got manners. Everybody opens the door for the ladies
and everybody says ‘yes ma'am' or ‘no ma'am' to their elders. We were brought
up that if you didn't say that, you get smacked.
That's how I imagine it, with lots
of ranches dotted about too...
There are
ranches, but it's more of cities now. I'm Houston,
Texas, which is mainly city and
not any ranches. I moved to Austin,
Texas though where they're a lot
of ranches and rivers and hills, where you can go down the river and drink
beer. The city life is great, but I go
to London for
the city life and go back home for the ranch.
What is your earliest musical
memory?
When I
was about five. I wrote my first song about a kite. My teacher made me sing it
in front of the whole school and then after that I just kept writing songs.
What was it that compelled you to
write songs?
I don't
really know. I was just a mad kid. I'd always run around and if people were
playing, I'd be playing by myself because people annoyed me. It was a way of
getting a lot of emotions of my chest while doing what Peter Gabriel and the
Smiths did because that's what I grew up on, that music, and I wanted to be
like that. In high school it was like ‘I
know who the Smiths are, you don't! I know who the Cure and Peter Gabriel are,
you don't!'
Would you describe yourself as an
intense guy?
I am an
intense guy, but it's internal until I get on stage, then I just let it all
out! I'm not a partier. I did that and it effectively ruined a lot of my
friends. I can't be around a lot of stuff so after shows I might say a few his
and see ya and then I'm out. I'm an intense guy, but it's internal until I get
on stage.
And you're a recovering addict as
well?
It was
crystal meth, cocaine, heroin, anything that could just make me forget or be
numb. It almost came to a point of where
I ended up quitting the band and going on and living that lifestyle, because
when it sucks you in that deep you can actually see yourself enjoying doing
drugs until the day you die.
What was the lowest point?
The
lowest point would be loosing all my friends.
And now nobody wants to call me anymore, nobody believes anything I say
anymore. People always look at what I say like ‘are you telling the truth?' I
really don't like that so now I don't talk that much any more, until I can
prove myself.
Was it difficult getting clean?
Very
difficult. I haven't used any chemicals but sometimes it's like ‘Oh boy'. That
thought is with me all the time. I have dreams about it, waking up and
sweating, feeling like I've just used some in my dreams.
Can you see a brighter future now?
I can see
a brighter future now because it was all lies before. I would call and tell my
mom ‘I can't come to Christmas because I'm sick'. She'd go ‘You poor thing' and
I'd walk right back over and do a line.
What are your plans for conquering
Britain?
Just to
keep coming back and doing more shows. January we're coming back. We're just
laying it down for two or three months.
Finally, what do you want to
achieve?
I want to
be making albums, I want to be producing albums and I'd like to be writing
songs for other artists. I want to be writing movies and I want to be writing
songs for movies. I'd like to keep doing this, but just not at such a grueling
pace.
Hate Me
is out on 18th September and Foiled is out now
For more
info: www.blueoctober.com
Words:
Helen Duong
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