After twenty years in the music business, Blue October frontman Justin Furstenfeld makes his Inside Music Podcast debut with stories of triumph, loss, and recovery.
Malcolm Gladwell would classify Justin Furstenfeld as an outlier. The frontman of Blue October has shaped the sound of alternative rock for over two decades. In that time, Furstenfeld has released more than half a dozen records, toured endlessly, and written numerous hit songs. He’s also hit rock bottom, found a path to recovery, and lived to tell his story. Furstenfeld is a person who puts his all in everything he does for better and worse. He fully commits in every way, and that approach to living has made all difference in his career.
When you speak to fans of Blue October, there is a sense of community that is impossible to deny. Each listener finds themselves relating to Furstenfeld’s journey through life’s toughest times in a manner that breeds hopefulness. They are often lost souls in search of meaning and peace who turn to music when they believe there is nowhere left to turn. Furstenfeld has done the same, and he conveys the messages he wishes to hear whenever he sings.
Hours before a recent gig in West Michigan, Furstenfeld sat with Inside Music host James Shotwell on Blue October’s tour bus to discuss the lessons learned from his time in music. Furstenfeld shared his highest highs and lowest lows, all of which lead him to change his perspective on life. That shift produced a ripple effect that benefitted not just his band, but everyone he connects with through music as well.
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