ShareJustin Furstenfeld, founder member, lead singer and guitarist with American rock band Blue October, chats with Kevin Cooper about his love for Penhaligon’s perfume, recording Approaching Normal, the 20th anniversary of their album Foiled and their forthcoming 2026 tour of the UK.
Justin Furstenfeld is the founder member and lead singer and guitarist with American rock band, Blue October. He is also a member of the band Harvard Of The South which is a fourpiece rock supergroup that released an EP in 2024 and their eponymous album in 2020. He has also released three solo albums.
Blue October have released thirteen albums, the first in 1998 and the last in 2024. Their most successful album, Foiled, released in 2006 was certified platinum in 2007 and went on to sell 1.4 million copies in the U.S. alone.
He has also acted in the action film, Section Eight, making his acting debut in 2022, with his original song, This Is What I Live For, being played during the film’s opening credits.
He has experienced problems with his mental health and was treated for depression in the late 1990’s and Blue October’s debut album, The Answers, was an expression of themes surrounding depression and suicide. He was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder which was exacerbated by his alcohol consumption. He has now been sober for a number of years.
Whilst busy rehearsing for their forthcoming tour, he took some time out to have a chat with Kevin Cooper and this is what he had to say.
Hi Justin how are you?
I am doing so good mate, how are you?
I’m very well thank you, and before we move on let me thank you for taking the time to speak to me today.
No problem, this is perfect, I truly appreciate it; I love you (laughter). I am super honoured that you even want to speak to me so thank you so much, I truly am grateful.
How’s life treating you at this moment in time?
It’s frickin’ amazing bro. There is absolutely nothing wrong in my life. The only thing wrong in my life is that there is nothing wrong in my life (laughter). There is nothing wrong (laughter). Come on, we have got another day in front of us, I am coming over to Europe, I am coming over to the UK, it’s been too long and I really cannot wait. It really is going to be amazing. We are just super excited to come back over there to see you guys. It’s been two years now.
We must talk about the forthcoming tour, but can we start with the 20th Anniversary of Foiled?
Sure bro, go for it.
Well, I have played the album once again today and, in my humble opinion, I feel that it sounds as fresh today as it did twenty years ago. Would you agree with that?
Oh no man, it’s pretty sad (hysterical laughter). Whenever I listen to the album I’m like, ‘oh god it’s really sad’ (laughter). I have to put that down to the drugs, together with the women who we were hanging out with at the time. Don’t get me wrong there really are some beautiful songs on the album. It’s a nice, beautiful mix of different emotions, different sounds, and it has this kind of dreamy quality about it that I love. It was after that record that the band really started to get heavily into rock music, but I don’t really care for that sound. I personally like smooth, sad, depressing shit (laughter). So, the fact that this album did so well with that broad spectrum of different styles I would say, I am pretty damn proud of it.
I love the album and I currently have three go to tracks.
Okay which ones?
They are; She’s My Ride Home, Independently Happy and Chameleon Boy. I think that Chameleon Boy finishes off the album perfectly.
Wow. It’s pretty insane just how amazing it is that you and I are able to listen to music and play music for our entire lives. It really is pretty insane. I love being able to express myself both lyrically and sonically. I love being able to tour, and people keep showing up and listening to our music. If you really think about it that really is kind of special.
Putting you on the spot, do you have a favourite track on the album?
I would have to say She’s My Ride Home. That song is probably one of my favourites, simply because it is so dark and so weird (laughter). I also love Into The Ocean and Let It Go. Those three are most definitely favourites.
You released the album some twenty years ago now and I was wondering if you have any lasting memories of the time that you spent recording it?
Yes, I think that my favourite part of it all was me living in the studio with one of our engineers. I think what was so cool about it was that the engineer didn’t judge because at that time I really was a whack job; in fact I really was crazy. I had a big drug problem, a big alcohol problem, but I always kept music first. At that time, I didn’t have any kids, I didn’t have any repercussions, and I didn’t have any responsibilities. I think what was great about that time is the fact that I just didn’t care. I just wanted to lock myself in this house in California for five months and just write.
I was able to meet people who had attended the Woodstock festival and people who had lived through that time, the people who lived through that free kind of thing, where they just didn’t care. They just did whatever their spirit felt. There were no repercussions, it was just pure creative bliss, and that’s what I loved about it. Having said all of that, what was difficult was coming back to Texas, trying to explain it all later to the band (hysterical laughter). They were like, ‘what the fuck, one song is happy, one song is sad, one song is heavy, are you fucking bi-polar’ and I just said “Durr” (laughter).
In order to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Foiled will you be releasing anything special?
What, besides naked pictures of myself, perhaps a few photographs of me lying naked on a bearskin rug, butt naked, that might be some special shit for people to see (laughter). Maybe they will really want to see that as I look a lot better now than I did twenty years ago. I looked like a puffy penguin back then in that damn black and white suit. I had the alcoholic puff; you know what I mean (laughter). Being serious for a minute, I would have to say that we are releasing it on vinyl, we are teaming up with Universal Records, and we have three music videos that we are releasing that are just incredible.
There are some songs from twenty years ago, so it really is special to revisit some songs for back then. There is a song called Congratulations and the video is out. We re-did it, and for me it is very special to see a song come to life again after twenty years and for us to make a video where the band looks better than they did twenty years ago (laughter). It was pretty cool for us to be able to do that and then send it over to Universal who said, “damn what are you doing, you all look great” (laughter). I might even make a sex tape with one of the guys in the band but I’m not frickin’ sure, although it may help us to sell a few more copies of the album (laughter). Oh wait, I’ve got kids now so I can’t do that stuff (laughter).
In a top ten of Blue October albums where do you think that Foiled would sit?
Great question and I would have to say that Foiled is number one just because it gave us the legs to do whatever we do now. It also gave me the confidence as a producer to keep on producing. As long as I keep producing and I keep on following my heart then it always works out. It’s when I start thinking that I need to do all of these special things like hiring all of these big wigs, that when I get problems. For me it is perfect for me to keep it in-house with the band, and create with the band, then it always works out so much better; it is much more honest.
So, I think that Foiled gave us all the confidence to know that we can do it on our own and we don’t have to pay all of these hundreds of thousands of dollars to these big wigs who try to pee on our hydrant. They are like dogs; they have always got to pee on something. So, I think that Foiled would be first, then This Is What I Live For, followed by I Hope You’re Happy, Spinning The Truth Around, then I might go to History For Sale, you know, that kind of thing. My least favourite album, without a shadow of a doubt is Approaching Normal and don’t you dare ask me why.
You say that Approaching Normal sounds like shit. Wasn’t the album produced by the legendary Steve Lillywhite of U2 fame?
(Laughter) yes, it was and to be totally honest with you he was a fucking bad ass for a while; he just didn’t like me very much. The very first thing that he said to me when we met was, “oh wow, you’re a fat lead singer” to which I replied, “oh wow you’re an asshole” (laughter). It was at that point that I thought, ‘wow this is going to be great, let’s work together’ (hysterical laughter). The album sounds like absolute shit and he’s from the UK. Far too much money (laughter). As long as the band sticks with each other and really trust in each other I think that we can do things amazingly.
We have all learnt a lot over the years, and the main thing is that alcohol and drugs don’t help. Being healthy helps because now we have this craft and we have so many songs all the time. We own the studio, we own the label, we own our masters, we tour and we come to see you guys, and we no longer have to give 85% to some big wig label owner. I personally have two baby mommas, so I’ve got to do my thing. I’ve got three kids that I know of, but I could have some all around the world, who knows (laughter).
Moving on, let’s talk about the forthcoming tour. Are you looking forward to being back here in the UK?
I have to be totally honest with you and say that touring the UK is my absolute favourite. Come on, you know it is (laughter). Manchester, London, frickin’ Brighton; oh my god I love Brighton. Brighton is so creepy and weird in the winter, and I simply love it. Come on bro I love everything about the UK. Let me live there, I would love to move to London. Do you know what I like the most about the UK?
Well, I’m sure that it’s not the weather.
I love the weather over there in the UK because it is always frickin’ raining (laughter). It is always kind of cold, but what I like the most about the UK is that London has the world’s largest perfumery in the entire world, and it’s called Penhaligon’s. I am a perfume snob, and Penhaligon’s kills every other perfumery. It’s insane just how good Penhaligon’s is so I really do love the UK. You not only have the best perfumery you also have the best bands which kill every American band. Every American band wishes that they could be The Stone Roses, every American band wishes that they could be The Cure, every American band wishes that they could be Pink Floyd, every American band wishes that they could be The Smiths, every American band wishes that they could be Joy Division, but they can’t. I could go on; I could keep going but I won’t.
Wednesday 3rd June you are playing Rock City here in Nottingham, just what can we expect?
You are going to have the most amazingly emotional positive, heartfelt show. You are going to have two hours of just Rock ‘n’ Roll dreamy bliss. And then I am going to come out after the show, I am going to meet every person and shake their hand, and give them hugs and kisses and tell them, “Thank you so much for being here at the show and being in my life”. But, before that, I am going to spray on some Penhaligon, and I am going to smell really good (laughter).
Am I right in saying that this will be your very first show in Nottingham?
Yes, it is but please don’t panic as its going to be great (laughter).
And is this also the first time that you will playing the album in its entirety?
That’s right, from start to finish. I have actually just finished rehearsing today and I have to say that it sounds so good, but do you know why, because we are all sober and we are not fucking alcohol dependant these days (laughter). And I have to say that it is really nice.
On that point I will ask you, does the album sound different now that you are all clean and sober to what it did some twenty years ago when you recorded the album?
Yes, I have to say that it does. It sounds like really nice musical bliss whereas in the past it just sounded like regurgitated pain. Back then it was like, ‘oh man this is so difficult’ whereas now, it is just like, ‘man, these are really good songs’. These songs might connect with someone out thesre who has depression. The guys in the band are such good players; it was always me that was the problem. It was always me and never the guys. I always thought that everything needed to be sadder than sad can be.
Will you be playing Foiled in its entirety and then some hits, or will the hits be interspersed with Foiled?
That’s a great question bro. It is going to be the album in its entirety, that is fourteen songs plus the ghost track (laughter). Ghost tracks existed in 2006 and before that, but after that there were no more ghost tracks hidden away. After that we will come back onstage and do an encore containing Sway, Say It, Fear, Moving On, Home, All That We Are, Down Here Waiting, I Hope You Are Happy, which means that it is going to be a two hour long show and people are going to love it.
Is there any news on a new studio album?
Yes, there is, we have already written half of the new album, and once we get finished with the Foiled tour in America, we are going to be putting that album to bed, when we be releasing a brand-new album. We really just wanted to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Foiled first.
Your brother Jeremy is the drummer in the band, how does that work. Do you ever find yourselves in a position like the Gallagher’s do?
(Laughter) no not at all, we get along great. Now that I am not longer mainlining PCP everything seems to be connecting and we all now respect each other. He has kids, I have kids, he has a wife, but I don’t but that’s okay (laughter). We all do this out of a love for our children, the love for art, and it really is something special man.
Who has inspired you along the way?
That’s easy, Peter Gabriel, The Cure, Joy Division, Morrissey, The Stone Roses, Richard Hawley, all of the English bands inspired me. There are some good American bands, but you know…(laughter).
Didn’t I hear that you also like a little Marvin Gaye?
Of course, I love Motown. I love Michael (Jackson) I love Marvin, but I will tell you who I love a lot, when I was growing up it would always be George Michael. I adored George Michael in fact I still adore George Michael. He influenced my pop angle most definitely. He was a tortured soul, and people should just leave him the fuck alone. It all comes from jealousy.
The name of the band Blue October, where did it come from?
I just wanted the name to sound sad and cold. When I was a kid, I always thought that October was cold and blue is the saddest colour. I could make up some crazy story to tell you but these days I am not allowed to lie anymore (laughter). It was part of my program to recovery (hysterical laughter).
Justin, let me once again thank you for talking the time to speak to me today, it’s been great. Good luck with the tour and I will see you here in Nottingham.
Kevin, I just wanted to say thank you for being so kind, and wanting to reach out and talk to me, and most of all thank you for all the love. I can’t wait to see you. See you soon.