BLUE OCTOBER FACTS:
Members: Justin Furstenfeld, Ryan Delahoussaye, Jeremy Furstenfeld, Matt Noveskey
Genre: Alt Rock
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Albums: The Answers (1998); Consent to Treatment (2000); History for Sale (2003); Foiled (2006); Approaching Normal (2009);
Awards:
Hits: "Hate Me," "Dirt Room"
Other: Music featured on shows such as The Sopranos, Numb3rs, NCIS, and Jericho.
Blue October has been together for nearly 15 years, but it took them almost 10 to get noticed by critics and music fans alike. However, they have recently become a mainstay in alternative rock circles, and with a recent resurgence, the coming decade looks bright for the band from Houston, Texas.
Blue October was formed in 1995 by brothers Justin and Jeremy Furstenfeld, with Justin serving as the lead singer and songwriter for the band. Their early years were marked by performing in and around Houston, and their debut album, 1998's The Answers, was a moderate success. The record was very popular around Texas and received numerous positive reviews from critics in the area.
While their first release was a local success, its popularity managed to catch the attention of record executives and they released their first major-label album in 2000 with Consent to Treatment. Though the record was not as well-received as its predecessor, it did contain a pair of noteworthy songs, "The Answer" and "Balance Beam."
The lack of success of their sophomore album led to them being dropped by their record label. Luckily, 2003's History for Sale earned the group more mainstream success thanks in large part to the single "Calling You," which appeared on the soundtrack for the hit comedy American Wedding, and led to the band being re-signed.
History for Sale may have been Blue October's first entrance into the mainstream, but 2006's Foiled would make the band into stars. Along with positive reviews from most critics, the recorded featured their biggest hit, "Hate Me." The single was popular with a broad spectrum of fans, and peaked at number two on the modern rock charts and entered into the top 30 on the pop charts as well. The follow-up single "Into The Ocean" was also a hit, and its video was played regularly on VH1.
Since 2006, Blue October has continued to record and release albums including 2009's Approaching Normal. Though it earned relatively mixed reviews compared to their other records, the album still entered the charts at number 13 and the single "Dirt Room" was a hit with modern rock circles.
More recently, the band has continued to perform and announced in 2010 that they were planning the production of a new album with, with its release date yet to be determined. Though they have had a career of ups-and-downs, the core of the band remains strong and Blue October looks poised for big things in the coming years.