Foster the People
| Foster the People | |
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Foster the People at the 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards, from left to right: Pontius, Foster, and Fink
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | Startime, Columbia |
| Website | fosterthepeople |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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Foster the People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2009. It currently consists of lead vocalist Mark Foster and drummer Mark Pontius. Their music, described as melodic dance-infused pop and rock, spans many genres.
Foster founded the band in 2009 after spending several years in Los Angeles as a struggling musician and working as a commercial jingle writer. After Foster's song "Pumped Up Kicks" became a viral success in 2010, the group received a record deal from Startime International and gained a fanbase through small club shows and appearances at music festivals. After releasing their debut album Torches in May 2011, "Pumped Up Kicks" became a crossover hit on commercial radio in mid-2011 and eventually reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The record also featured the popular singles "Helena Beat" and "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)". The group received two Grammy Award nominations for Torches and "Pumped Up Kicks".
After touring for two years in support of Torches, Foster the People released their second album, Supermodel, in March 2014. It was preceded by the lead single "Coming of Age".
Mark Foster graduated from Nordonia High School in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. At his father's encouragement, Foster moved in with his uncle in Sylmar, Los Angeles, California to pursue a career in music. Foster worked various jobs and at night, he attended parties in Hollywood to expand his social network. He said, "I felt like an 18-year-old Hunter S. Thompson. I was just diving into this Hollywood Hills subculture and taking it all in. I wasn't shy about taking my guitar out at a party. I wanted to be the center of attention." At one time, he roomed with actor Brad Renfro. Foster struggled with drug addiction during his initial years in Los Angeles, saying, "It got pretty dark. My friends thought I was going to die. I was blind to it. When I was 19 years old, it got to a point where I said, 'Enough is enough' ... I saw time was just passing me by. I wasn't being productive."
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