Ok, so a lot of people are talking about the record label, and about how they were dropped, and whatnot- the label screwing them over, etc. I don't have any clear facts on it, but here are some facts I've gathered related to this song:
When talking about this song in an interview for Approaching Normal, he says, 'MR does NOT stand for Motown Records. I can't tell you what it stands for, but it's not that.'
It is possible that he could be referring to the label in this, due to the label dropping them. They didn't have a very tight connection with them from what the public could see; quite a few differences and disagreements. Houstonpress.com has this( and more):
"We got dropped," the 26 year-old Furstenfeld says matter-of-factly. "I laugh about it. We put our album out, worked our asses off on it. I don't think Universal knew what we were all about."
To be fair to Universal, what do you do with a band like Blue October? It's hard to find the right fit in today's corporate radio wasteland for a rock-based band with lyrics that redefine angst and a violin as the lead instrument. Universal thought the solution was to dumb it down.
"Universal decided to put 'Breakfast After Ten' out as a single, and I was like, 'What? That's like the worst song I've ever written,' " recounts Furstenfeld. "They said, 'Everyone loves it.' I said, 'Why, dude? I hate singing it.' Every night I'm making the set list and our road manager comes up to me and says, 'You have "Breakfast After Ten" on there, right?' I would say no. He says, 'You better put it on there.' Arrrrgh! What's the point of doing art if you can't do it the way you want to do it?"
Universal also wanted the band to tone down the drama and length of its concerts. Then of course there was the problem of the band's inimitability. "They said, 'You're a Texas band. You can't have a violin in a Texas band.' " Furstenfeld literally snarls his response: "Then why'd you fucking sign me? That's our lead instrument!"
Blue October is my absolute favorite band, no doubt.
Ok, so a lot of people are talking about the record label, and about how they were dropped, and whatnot- the label screwing them over, etc. I don't have any clear facts on it, but here are some facts I've gathered related to this song:
When talking about this song in an interview for Approaching Normal, he says, 'MR does NOT stand for Motown Records. I can't tell you what it stands for, but it's not that.'
It is possible that he could be referring to the label in this, due to the label dropping them. They didn't have a very tight connection with them from what the public could see; quite a few differences and disagreements. Houstonpress.com has this( and more): "We got dropped," the 26 year-old Furstenfeld says matter-of-factly. "I laugh about it. We put our album out, worked our asses off on it. I don't think Universal knew what we were all about."
To be fair to Universal, what do you do with a band like Blue October? It's hard to find the right fit in today's corporate radio wasteland for a rock-based band with lyrics that redefine angst and a violin as the lead instrument. Universal thought the solution was to dumb it down.
"Universal decided to put 'Breakfast After Ten' out as a single, and I was like, 'What? That's like the worst song I've ever written,' " recounts Furstenfeld. "They said, 'Everyone loves it.' I said, 'Why, dude? I hate singing it.' Every night I'm making the set list and our road manager comes up to me and says, 'You have "Breakfast After Ten" on there, right?' I would say no. He says, 'You better put it on there.' Arrrrgh! What's the point of doing art if you can't do it the way you want to do it?"
Universal also wanted the band to tone down the drama and length of its concerts. Then of course there was the problem of the band's inimitability. "They said, 'You're a Texas band. You can't have a violin in a Texas band.' " Furstenfeld literally snarls his response: "Then why'd you fucking sign me? That's our lead instrument!"
Blue October is my absolute favorite band, no doubt.