Foster the People is an indie-pop band from Los Angeles, California. The world best remembers the group with the catchy 2010 hit "Pumped Up Kick." However, fans have remained privy to their unique brand of music best played in the front of an intimate audience.
With Mark Foster in the lead, Sean Cimino on guitars, Isom Innis on keyboards, and Mark Pontius on drums, Foster The People is a band that promises to stay.
The Jingle Writer Behind a Global Phenomenon
Mark Foster was actually from Ohio, encouraged by his dad to pursue his career in music in Los Angeles. He worked by day and partied by night - in an attempt to create his network. He once shared with the Los Angeles Times that he felt like an "18-year-old Hunter S. Thompson," the legendary gonzo journalist.
After years as a struggling musician, Foster worked as a cafe waiter to make ends meet. He credited his day job for teaching him a lot, and soon landed a job as a jingle writer for commercials. During this time, Foster wrote several songs on different genres.
Foster would later form Foster the People with drummer Mark Pontius, marking the band's first show at the Dakota Live Music Lounge in October 2009. The group then included bassist Cubbie Fink, forming a quartet with their producer Reazon Heiligman. While it was initially named "Foster & The People," the misheard "Foster the People" stuck, and they kept it ever since.
Pumped Up Kicks and Torches
The band broke through the mainstream music scene with "Pumped Up Kicks," a song written by Foster during his jingle writing days. The song went viral, and the band was sought after by recording labels. The group finally signed with Startime International under Columbia. The song was popularly used among the TV series at the time, and it was also included as a playable track in the video games "Guitar Hero Live" and "Rock Band Blitz."
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By January 2011, Foster the People released their self-titled debut EP. Aside from their breakthrough single, the EP also featured their popular singles "Houdini" and "Helena Beat." These three tracks were later included in their debut album "Torches," which spawned the additional licensed hits "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" and "Call It What You Want."
Supermodel and Sacred Hearts Club
Foster first announced at the 2012 Brit Awards that they are working on their second album, looking at a 2013 release. By the following year, the band did perform new songs at a secret show at Los Angeles' famed venue The Troubadour.
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Although the album was ready by the last quarter of 2013, the label decided to hold it off until 2014 to avoid competition. Foster the People then released their first single from the second album, "Coming of Age." The album, "Supermodel," dropped on March 2014, followed by singles "Best Friend," "Are You What You Want To Be?" and "Pseudologia Fantastica."
For their third album, it was first announced in an interview in Paraguay back in March 2015. In September of the same year, the band announced that Fink would be leaving to pursue other opportunities.
The band teased their progress on the new album by playing new songs at Rocking the Daisies Music Festival. Foster the People first released another EP, "III," which contained songs from their third album. In July 2017, the "Sacred Hearts Club" was released to positive reviews. It also saw the band's return to mainstream limelight with the heavily-streamed "Sit Next to Me."
Don't Stop!
In November 2018, Foster the People released a new single, "Worst Nites," whose cover design was made by Young & Sick. The art collective previously worked on the cover arts for "Torches" and "Supermodel."
The band has teased their fourth album by dropping singles - "Style" in March 2019, "Imagination" in June, and "Pick U Up" in September. Their latest track was "It's Ok To Be Human," released last March 2020.
