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The Moods of Blue October
June 11, 2009
(bum) - They’ve already been secured as an opening act for the Rolling Stones, Mötley Crüe and will open for Kiss in July. However, they still have hopes of one day opening for Peter Gabriel, one of the band’s greatest inspirations of all time. This is an interview with bassist Matt Noveskey of Blue October, the rockin’ Texas pop group who brought us the hits Hate Me and Into the Ocean and their most recent album released last March, Approaching Normal, directed by Steve Lillywhite (U2).
You’ve got two songs on your new album called Blue Skies and Blue Does and your band is Blue October. What is your obsession with blue?
I think that blue is a colour that sort of describes a mood and an emotion that definitely has been pretty prevalent since day one with us. You know, Blue October is a description of a snapshot in time and the overall mood of that time. That theme sort of snuck its way into several songs and a few songs that haven’t been recorded as well. It’s something that just seems to pop up over and over again.
In the songs Say It and Dirt Room, Furstenfeld vents some anger. Do these songs serve as an outlet for deceptions of love?
Not specifically, but if that’s the conclusion that you drop from it, then great. I think he’s really clever in a sense that he writes things that are autobiographical, but people can listen to it and they can relate to each song in their own way. But the thing that is similar about both songs that you mentioned, is that they’re both about an individual getting confidence and standing up for themselves, whether it be in saying, “You know what, I’ve had enough of your you know what, I don’t want to hear it anymore.” Dirt Room, which is obviously a pretty dark song, is about standing up for yourself and basically, you know, the victim becoming the victimiser.
Do you think it’s important to add a little bit of humour to your songs? Sometimes, they can be dark, but with a touch of irony?
Yeah, obviously. We take our music seriously, but we don’t take ourselves too seriously. I think some people, when they become successful and they’re out there sending a message, people latch onto it. They can link it up in their heads, and they end up taking life so seriously, almost thinking they’re kind of a prophet. And that’s not who we are. We’re normal people that are trying to have fun and trying to enjoy life, and not just taking everything so seriously that we’ve missed the boat. It’s like, “Let’s be honest and let’s say what’s on our mind and share it with the world, but let’s also let everyone know that we’re just normal people.” If somebody that didn’t know us would hang out with us for two hours, they would walk away going, “Wow, those guys aren’t nearly as dark as I thought they were.” You know, we have fun.
While you’re on tour, are you often fooling around, having fun, goofing?
I think that you have to have fun and you have to smile, and you have to make each other laugh as well as be a family for each other, because being on tour, you know, especially since I have a daughter, it’s really hard for me sometimes. There are times when we’re away for weeks at a time and it just tears me apart. But I’ve got my friends who make me laugh and give me a hug and put a smile on my face and help me get through this, and we are doing it together, and that changes everything. You know, if I was out here with a bunch of morose guys, then I don’t know if I’d want to do it.
On your more recent album, you’ve got three songs called Been Down and Picking Up Pieces and Jump Rope. Do they somehow show the up and downs you were having while creating your album Approaching Normal?
Absolutely. I think that’s a great question. I think those songs are perfect examples too. It’s cool that you pick those ones out. The songs are all very different from one another, but they’re all snapshots of our lives. Each one of those songs are definitely from a certain time, a certain place that Justin was as a main songwriter, as we were as a band. We experience real problems, but we also experience real joy, and wonderful things happen in our lives as well, and we don’t just sing about one or the other, we sing about all of them.
What crosses your mind when you see a delirious crowd in front of you before a show?
We feel blessed, and that’s something that never goes away, that’s just as strong in my mind as it was the first time I ever stepped on stage with these guys. I feel just as blessed as I ever have to be able to do what we do and make a living out of it. We have families back home and music is all I know, it’s the only thing I’m good at. It’s a very hard business to succeed in, so just to be able to get up there and see that people appreciate what we’re doing and that they come and see us, that they come out and get excited and they sing whole words and they put their heart into it just as much as we do, is something we don’t take for granted and we never will. We appreciate our fans more than anybody possibly could, I promise (laughs).
I saw that Kanye West and Peter Gabriel are some of your MySpace friends. Are you guys trying to collaborate with them?
We would love to, and if you know any way to make that happen, we’ll love you as well (laughs). Kanye West is a brilliant artist. I think that what he’s doing is fantastic and that he’s a great showman. I love his songs. I think he’s a genius. And Peter Gabriel is somebody that has been an influence on this band from day one. He’s somebody that we look up to, who’s an idol almost. It would be very surreal if something ever came up or if we get to do something with him or even just shake his hand. We just respect the guy so much.
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Click here to learn more information about Blue October and their concert dates and venues.
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