Blue October

interview by Nick Stephenson

There are two ways to overcome adversity while climbing to the top of the rock and roll world. In one instance, the band toils through dingy clubs, gigs that don't pay, thousands of miles on the road and a chest full of drunken secrets. Often this route involves an arrest or an overdose – or both. But a bond is formed and the ensemble comes out stronger as musicians, and people.

Or, the band can just let one person toil through all of the above, and then make money off his stories. It's a bit sadistic, but that's how Blue October has worked since first signing with Universal Records in 2000. Bassist and West Michigan native Matt Noveskey admitted as much to Recoil, but was quick to point out that since singer Justin Furstenfeld's road to recovery from drugs and mental illness, they've toiled together.

"You know the thing about that is, this is definitely a band and there's no secret about it," Noveskey said. "But this is a band, and it's a band with characters and everybody has their own identity, but at the same time this is Justin's band. And Justin is the brains… he's the primary songwriter, he's the face of the band, and we all respect him."

The benefits of being a background player are more free time, and maybe a little less personal attachment to songs. "Hate Me," the popular radio hit from Blue October's Foiled album is a realization of and quasi apology for Furstenfeld's behavior in a previous rock band. Of course, he may enjoy the success more than the others, but if a song is widely panned, he may suffer more than the others.

Noveskey said he wrestled with the band's arrangement, ultimately leaving the band in 2002. "I almost felt like I was starting to benefit off of his problems, and it was really hard for me to grasp that," he said. He rejoined in 2004, and beginning with the recording of Foiled, he began to grow up.

"The thing about this album is that it reflected a resolution instead of what's wrong," he said. "Lyrically, with him being so honest I just think that's a beautiful thing no matter what."

Blue October signed to Universal in 2000 and released Consent to Treatment. The band was dropped, however, after rock radio didn't embrace it. They re-signed in 2004 – a rare occurrence in the music industry – and quickly sold out a tour in their home state of Texas a year later.

Noveskey said the song "Somebody" from Foiled is reflective of how the entire band felt after being dropped. It's angry, and spontaneous. It's just pent-up emotion bottled onto tape, and eventually an album.

After fighting through addiction, institutionalization, a broken leg (Furstenfeld fell running the bases at a baseball stadium in May), a teetering record deal and an earthquake (they were to fly to Hawaii for a gig one day after the state's 6.3 earthquake in October – it was cancelled), the band has learned to keep expectations low. If 100 people show up for their Nov. 6 show at the Intersection in Grand Rapids, they'll be satisfied. It's the same attitude Noveskey took before releasing Foiled.

"I was like, 'Hey, if something positive comes from it then it will be a surprise,'" he said.

"So now that it's actually blown up – like, I've got a gold record on the wall – it's amazing. I can't describe it."

And barring any more natural disasters, good things await them. On Nov. 14 they'll open for the Rolling Stones in Nampa, Idaho. "Oh, dude. I don't even know how to describe that," Noveskey said. "The first thing I did [when I found out] was call my mom."