Blue October: The Foiled 20th Anniversary World Tour

Justin Furstenfeld is certainly never one to mince words. Whether on or offstage, the Blue October singer-songwriter tells it like it is. It’s no surprise then that on a recent afternoon, Furstenfeld is nothing less than blunt in his assessment of his iconic band’s breakthrough album. “It’s fucking beauty! It’s gorgeous! It’s timeless!” the singer says with zero hesitation. He’s speaking to Foiled, Blue October’s epic and undeniably enduring 2006 landmark LP, a 14-track collection that temporarily sent the Houston-bred band into the stratosphere thanks to seminal singles including “Hate Me” and “Into The Ocean.” Because for as much as Foiled initially sent Furstenfeld and Blue October’s life into a manic whirlwind, now, as the singer looks back on it 20 years in the rearview, and particularly as the band prepares to launch a yearlong Foiled 20th-anniversary celebration, the singer has come to realize what a true blessing his band’s most beloved body of work has been in his life.

“So now here we are,” Furstenfeld says as Blue October which includes drummer Jeremy Furstenfeld, multi-instrumentalist Ryan Delahoussaye, bassist Matt Noveskey, and lead guitarist Will Knaak prepare to hit the road this fall for a Foiled headline tour where they’ll play the classic album in its entirety. “Let’s show and remind everyone just how special and eclectic that album was,” the singer says of Foiled. “And, most importantly, how much we wore our heart on our sleeve for it.”

And while Foiled marked a breakthrough moment for the band, it was truly only the beginning for Blue October: the album’s deeply personal songwriting and emotionally resonant sound not only cemented the Houston-bred band as one of rock’s most distinctive voices, but the deep connection it forged with their fanbase through the album’s highly personal lyrics remains palpable today. As the band’s global presence has continually grown. Blue October’s catalog now surpasses one billion streams and continues to climb – new listeners continue to discover Foiled alongside the band’s ever-expansive catalog that followed in its wake.

“It did what it’s supposed to do,” he says of the album in retrospect. I’m the most spiritually beautiful, calm, peaceful, amazing person and father that I never was before.” And while on the surface the Foiled anniversary might appear to be backward-looking, for Furstenfeld it’s a lesson and exercise in how the past can shape the present. “That’s why we’re doing an anniversary tour for it now. It’s so cool. You gotta celebrate the fact that we made that music. And now look where we are because of it. It’s such a blessing.”