| Sway | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 20, 2013 | |||
| Recorded | February–April, 2013 | |||
| Genre | Alternative rock | |||
| Length | 55:57 | |||
| Label | Up/Down Records | |||
| Blue October chronology | ||||
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| Blue October studio album chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Sway | ||||
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Sway is the seventh studio album by Blue October.[1] It was recorded at Fire Station Studio in San Marcos, Texas, with co-producer David Castell in February and March 2013.[2] Additional recording sessions for strings and vocal overdubs took place at Test Tube Audio in Austin, Texas, in April 2013, and the album was mixed at Studio 62 in Austin by Tim Palmer between May and July 2013. Production credit for the album is shared between Justin Furstenfeld, David Castell and Tim Palmer.[3] Castell had previously produced Blue October's album History For Sale and co-produced Foiled, while Palmer produced the band's album Any Man in America and mixed History for Sale. Sway was Blue October's first album to be released after Justin Furstenfeld got sober, and the songs have a marked sense of positivity and optimism compared to the band's previous work.
The band financed the production of the album through a PledgeMusic campaign which it began on April 2, 2013. The project reached its goal on April 5, 2013, and by August 14 had reached 263 percent of the goal and received 4,252 pledges. To raise money for the campaign, the band offered such items as music lessons, signed instruments, exclusive artwork, spots in a music video, and concert tickets for life. Five percent of the proceeds were donated to the MusicCares Foundation.[4]
Like Blue October's previous album, Any Man in America, Sway was released on the band's independent label Up/Down Records. North American distribution is through Megaforce Records, one of Sony/RED's independent labels, with European distribution by Membran Records.[4] Like the band's two previous albums, Sway was released on vinyl in addition to digital download and CD format.
The album was rated the second best album of 2013, in a tie with David Bowie's The Next Day, by the German music magazine Kulturnews. Sway also won the Reader's Choice award for Best Album in the Austin Music Blogger Awards.[5]
- ^ Brooke (May 28, 2013). "Blue October Announce New Album 'Sway'". Infectious.
- ^ Johnny Price (October 19, 2012). "Interview: Justin Furstenfeld of 'Blue October'". Rock Revolt.
- ^ Jeff McQ (August 8, 2013). "The Mimo Interview: Blue October". Music Is My Oxygen Weekly. Archived from the original on August 12, 2013.
- ^ a b Nuno Saque Ferreira (August 6, 2013). "Blue October releases new album". AltSounds. Archived from the original on August 8, 2013.
- ^ "Austin Music People – 2013 AMBA/AMP Award Winners". Austin Music People. February 27, 2014.