Justin Furstenfeld
Encyclopedia
Justin Steward Furstenfeld (born December 14, 1975 in Houston
, Texas
) is a record producer
, artist
, author
, and the lead singer, guitarist
, lyricist
and frontman of the American
rock band Blue October
.
.
He is the brother of Blue October drummer Jeremy Furstenfeld.
Justin Furstenfeld has battled with bipolar disorder
with schizophrenic features through most of his life and anxiety issues as well. He has his condition under control, saying in an interview that "I'm not a danger to myself [anymore]."
, country
, dance
; his favorite artists included Marvin Gaye
, The Smiths
, Red House Painters
and Pink Floyd
. His first musical memory was Roy Orbison
's ballad, "Crying".
During his high school years at Houston's prestigious High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
(HSPVA), he formed a band The Last Wish
, which he played in from the age of 13 until 1995. When performing solo, Furstenfeld uses the moniker 5591;, the number 5591 being his patient number when he was admitted to a mental institution following a breakup with his then-girlfriend Amanda. He tells this story in the confessionals on the Argue With a Tree
DVD
(found in the Special Features).
His vocal and performance style has been likened to Peter Gabriel
, Genesis
, Dave Matthews Band
and "Fish" of Marillion
.
He has written over 500 songs and counts among his influences: Michael Stipe
, The Cure
, The Smiths
, The Pixies, Peter Gabriel
, Idaho
, Elliott Smith
, Blue Miller, George Winston
, Jean Michel Basquiat and U2.
Furstenfeld also co-wrote and performed guest vocals on the Canvas
song "All About You" from their album Four Days Awake
.
In August 2008, Furstenfeld toured with Stephenie Meyer
, author of the Twilight series, in a sold out 4-city book/concert tour.
October 22, 2009, Pick Up The Phone Tour was cancelled after Justin was admitted to a hospital for an extreme mental
anxiety attack.
Furstenfeld is also an artist
, and his paintings have appeared on the covers
of two Blue October albums, The Answers and History for Sale
. His artwork
is also featured on T-shirts and posters for the band.
He also wrote many songs on his depression after his breakup and he tells most of his fans he is here to write and stay.
Okay, you asked for the book, and here it is. This amazing package includes Justin's first book spanning over 90 pages and including all lyrics from The Answers through Approaching Normal, and Justin's own thoughts on the how, why and when many of these songs came to life. The perfect companion piece to listen through all of the albums. This is a high quality hard cover, full color book.
With Blue October
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
) is a record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, and the lead singer, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
and frontman of the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock band Blue October
Blue October
Blue October is a rock band from Houston, Texas. The band was formed in 1995 and currently consists of Justin Furstenfeld , Jeremy Furstenfeld , Ryan Delahoussaye , Matt Noveskey , and Julian Mandrake .-History:Blue October was formed by lead...
.
Personal life
When not touring with his band, Furstenfeld resides in San Marcos, TexasSan Marcos, Texas
San Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the seat of Hays County. Located within the metropolitan area, the city is located on the Interstate 35 corridor—between Austin and San Antonio....
.
He is the brother of Blue October drummer Jeremy Furstenfeld.
Justin Furstenfeld has battled with bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
with schizophrenic features through most of his life and anxiety issues as well. He has his condition under control, saying in an interview that "I'm not a danger to myself [anymore]."
Music career
Growing up, Furstenfeld listening to hip-hop, rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
; his favorite artists included Marvin Gaye
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. , better known by his stage name Marvin Gaye, was an American singer-songwriter and musician with a three-octave vocal range....
, The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, Red House Painters
Red House Painters
Red House Painters were an alternative rock group formed in 1989 in San Francisco, California by singer-songwriter Mark Kozelek.-History:While in Atlanta, Georgia, Ohio-born Kozelek became friends with Anthony Koutsos, a drummer. He then moved to San Francisco, California, adding guitarist Gorden...
and Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
. His first musical memory was Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
's ballad, "Crying".
During his high school years at Houston's prestigious High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts is a secondary school located at 4001 Stanford Street in the Montrose district of Houston, Texas. The school is a part of the Houston Independent School District....
(HSPVA), he formed a band The Last Wish
The Last Wish
The Last Wish was a rock band from Houston, Texas, noted for being the first band of Blue October frontman Justin Furstenfeld. Ryan Delahoussaye of Blue October played with The Last Wish at a couple shows, but he was never a member of the band. Song writing collaboration was often shared by Greg...
, which he played in from the age of 13 until 1995. When performing solo, Furstenfeld uses the moniker 5591;, the number 5591 being his patient number when he was admitted to a mental institution following a breakup with his then-girlfriend Amanda. He tells this story in the confessionals on the Argue With a Tree
Argue with a Tree
Argue with a Tree... is the fourth album by Blue October. The title of the album is a lyric in the song "Weight of the World". The album was recorded live on June 4, 2004, at Lakewood Theater in Dallas, Texas, and released as a double CD and DVD in the United States in 2004 by Brando/Universal...
DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
(found in the Special Features).
His vocal and performance style has been likened to Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
and "Fish" of Marillion
Marillion
Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...
.
He has written over 500 songs and counts among his influences: Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
, The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
, The Pixies, Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, Idaho
Idaho (band)
Idaho is a rock band formed in 1992 in Los Angeles, California, founded as a duo by high school friends Jeff Martin and John K. Berry. They were signed to Caroline Records in December 1992 by Brian Long, then released the The Palms EP and Year After Year full-length in 1993...
, Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith
Steven Paul "Elliott" Smith was an American singer-songwriter and musician. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and resided for a significant portion of his life in Portland, Oregon, where he first gained popularity...
, Blue Miller, George Winston
George Winston
George Winston is an American pianist who was born in Michigan, and grew up mainly in Miles City, Montana as well as Mississippi and Florida. He attended Stetson University in Deland, Florida and lives in Santa Cruz, California.-Background:...
, Jean Michel Basquiat and U2.
Furstenfeld also co-wrote and performed guest vocals on the Canvas
Canvas (band)
Canvas was a rock band from Austin, Texas. For most of their history the lineup was Joseph King , Julian Mandrake , Ben Rada , Brad Byram , and Scott Thomas...
song "All About You" from their album Four Days Awake
Four Days Awake
Four Days Awake is the second album by Canvas. The track "All About You" was co-written by and features guest vocals by Blue October frontman Justin Furstenfeld. "All About You" was also released as a video. The song "Intertwined" was co-written with Johnny Goudie, although he does not perform...
.
In August 2008, Furstenfeld toured with Stephenie Meyer
Stephenie Meyer
Stephenie Meyer is an American author known for her vampire romance series Twilight. The Twilight novels have gained worldwide recognition and sold over 100 million copies globally, with translations into 37 different languages...
, author of the Twilight series, in a sold out 4-city book/concert tour.
October 22, 2009, Pick Up The Phone Tour was cancelled after Justin was admitted to a hospital for an extreme mental
Mind
The concept of mind is understood in many different ways by many different traditions, ranging from panpsychism and animism to traditional and organized religious views, as well as secular and materialist philosophies. Most agree that minds are constituted by conscious experience and intelligent...
anxiety attack.
Furstenfeld is also an artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, and his paintings have appeared on the covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of two Blue October albums, The Answers and History for Sale
History for Sale
History for Sale is the third album by Blue October. The title of the album comes from a lyric in the song "Amazing". It was recorded at Sound Arts Studios in Houston, Texas, and at Stomp Box Studios in Arlington, Texas, and released in the United States on April 8, 2003, by Brando Records...
. His artwork
Work of art
A work of art, artwork, art piece, or art object is an aesthetic item or artistic creation.The term "a work of art" can apply to:*an example of fine art, such as a painting or sculpture*a fine work of architecture or landscape design...
is also featured on T-shirts and posters for the band.
He also wrote many songs on his depression after his breakup and he tells most of his fans he is here to write and stay.
Crazy Making
In April 2009, Justin published his first book, Crazy Making - The Words and Lyrics of Justin Furstenfeld, in which Justin goes into explicit detail about the inspiration behind each and every Blue October song to date. The description of the book from the band's online store is as follows:Okay, you asked for the book, and here it is. This amazing package includes Justin's first book spanning over 90 pages and including all lyrics from The Answers through Approaching Normal, and Justin's own thoughts on the how, why and when many of these songs came to life. The perfect companion piece to listen through all of the albums. This is a high quality hard cover, full color book.
Discography
With The Last Wish- Rooftop SessionsRooftop SessionsRooftop Sessions is the first album by The Last Wish. It was released on cassette tape in 1993. The song "Mountain" was the first song ever written by Justin Furstenfeld and is a staple at his solo concerts.-Track listing:#"Never Dreams"#"Misti Blue"...
- The First of FebruaryThe First of FebruaryThe First of February is the second album by The Last Wish. It was recorded at Deep Dot Studios in Houston, Texas in the winter of 1994. The title of the album refers to an unusual snowfall in Houston. The songs "Royal Blue", "The First Time", "Still Broken", "Artha", "Cattleprod", and...
With Blue October
- The Answers
- Consent to TreatmentConsent to TreatmentConsent to Treatment is the second album by Blue October. It was recorded at Bay 7 Studios in Valley Village and Media Vortex in Burbank, California, and released in the United States August 15, 2000, by Universal Records...
- History for SaleHistory for SaleHistory for Sale is the third album by Blue October. The title of the album comes from a lyric in the song "Amazing". It was recorded at Sound Arts Studios in Houston, Texas, and at Stomp Box Studios in Arlington, Texas, and released in the United States on April 8, 2003, by Brando Records...
- Argue with a Tree...
- FoiledFoiledFoiled is the fourth album by Blue October. The album was certified gold in the United States on August 9, 2006, and on February 22, 2007, was certified platinum. The album is also popular in Canada where it has also achieved platinum status....
- Foiled Again EP
- Foiled for the Last TimeFoiled for the Last TimeFoiled for the Last Time is a two disc set by Blue October released by Universal Records on September 25, 2007. It contains an extended version of their Foiled album and a live recording disc....
- Approaching NormalApproaching NormalApproaching Normal is the fifth studio album by alternative rock band Blue October. The album was released on March 24, 2009. and debuted at number thirteen on the Billboard charts.- Background :...
- Any Man in AmericaAny Man in America-Reviews:The album was released to mixed reviews, Allmusic rating the album with 2 out of 5 stars and stating "Justin Furstenfeld has no qualms about putting his domestic problems on display, and while heartache and ruin are well-worn rock & roll topics, self-indulgence works best when tempered...