Foster the People
Encyclopedia
Foster the People is an American indie pop
band formed in Los Angeles, California
in 2009. The group is composed of Mark Foster (vocals, keyboards, piano, synthesizers, guitar, programming, percussion), Mark Pontius (drums and extra percussion), and Cubbie Fink (bass and backing vocals). The group's 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 wrote the song "Pumped Up Kicks
", which became a viral success in 2010, the group was signed to Columbia Records
' imprint Startime International
and gained a fanbase through small club shows and appearances at the music festivals Coachella
and South by Southwest
. After releasing their debut album Torches
in May 2011, "Pumped Up Kicks" became a crossover hit on commercial radio in mid-2011, reaching number one on Billboards Alternative Songs chart, number three on the Rock Songs
chart, and number three on the Billboard Hot 100
, while charting on the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40
charts.
by a vocational aptitude test. However, Foster hesitated at the prospect of fighting in the War in Iraq. At his father's encouragement, after graduating, Foster moved in with his uncle in Sylmar, Los Angeles in California to pursue a music career. Foster worked various odd jobs
and at night, he began to attend parties in Hollywood in an attempt to 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."
Several attempts at founding a band proved unsuccessful. After turning 22, he says he was contacted by Aftermath Entertainment
about showcasing his musical talents, but the opportunity ultimately fell through. For the next few years, Foster worked at a cafe while dealing with writer's block
, but he remained in Los Angeles after landing a job as a commercial jingle writer for Mophonics. He said of the profession, "I definitely learned from the commercial standpoint what works", and he credited the job with reviving his confidence in performing. The music Foster wrote spanned a wide range of genres, but he had difficulty reconciling his eclectic compositions. He explained: "I'd write one song and it'd be a hip-hop
song. I'd write another and it'd be heavily electronic
. Another would be like a spiritual, and another would be classic piano song. I was constantly trying to pull those elements together. It took me six years to do it." He still wished to be part of a group; reflecting on a residency he did at a venue performing electronic music, he said, "It was just me and a laptop. Really, it was terrible. I knew I needed a band."
Foster the People was born out of a nascent relationship with drummer Mark Pontius, who left his group Malbec
in 2009 to found a band with Foster. Pontius was impressed by the amount and diversity of songs that Foster had written to that point, saying, "Some were on the guitar, and some were on the computer. But it was this really awesome singer-songwriter thing with a tricked-out beat, and I felt we could go wherever we wanted with this." Foster's long-time friend Cubbie Fink joined the group soon afterwards as bassist. Mark Foster originally named the band Foster & the People, but people misheard it as "Foster the People". Eventually, he took to the nurturing image it evoked of "taking care" of people, so the name stuck.
", a song that was the group's breakthrough. It appeared on the website supergoodmusic.com in early 2010, and after Foster posted the song on his own website as a free download, it drew the attention of Nylon
magazine, who used the track in an online advertising campaign. The song continued to receive attention through various blogs and soon became big. Foster was emailed by many people about "Pumped Up Kicks", and needing professional guidance, he contacted artist manager Brent Kredel at Monotone, Inc. in March, saying, "Everyone is calling me and emailing me—what do I do? Who are the good guys, who are the bad guys?" Kredel recalled that "He went from the guy who couldn't get a hold of anyone to being the guy who had hundreds of emails in his inbox." Kredel and Brett Williams were subsequently hired to co-manage Foster the People, and they helped the group get meetings with several record label
s, including Warner Bros.
, Atlantic
, Columbia
, and Universal Republic. In May 2010, the band was signed to the Columbia imprint Startime International
by Isaac Green in a multi-album deal. The deal did not involve ancillary rights, which pleased the band and their management. Foster controls publishing of the songs in North America, while a separate 2010 deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing
controls publishing outside of North America.
After Foster the People signed their record deal, Kredel said, "The focus was to stop everything and not work on any marketing or touring, but to make an album that backed up 'Pumped Up Kicks.'" Wishing to avoid burnout, Startime allowed the group to pace themselves and not rush an album that would cash in on the popularity of the song. Green said, "You can't control everything, but you can be meticulous about the music." The group spent July–September 2010 writing material that would appear on their debut album, and chose Paul Epworth
, Rich Costey
, and Greg Kurstin
to co-produce the record with Mark Foster. In September, "Pumped Up Kicks" was released as the group's debut single.
in April. Meanwhile, the group continued to grow its fanbase with a month-long residency of concerts in January at The Echo
nightclub in Los Angeles. By the group's third show at the venue, according to Windish, "there were hundreds of people trying to get in outside... It was an obvious turning point that could be measured in numbers." The residency also drew the attention of music supervisors in attendance who would later help the group license
their music.
Foster the People issued its first commercial release in January 2011, a self-titled EP
featuring "Pumped Up Kicks", "Houdini", and "Helena Beat
" that was intended to hold fans over until their first studio album, Torches
, was completed. Fans who purchased the EP through the iTunes Store
were able to apply it towards the purchase of their full-length debut album. The EP drew the attention of organizers of March's South by Southwest
music festival, as well as executives looking to license music for upcoming season finales of television series. Columbia senior director of creative licensing Jonathan Palmer said, "The plan helped us a great deal to set up more opportunities rather than chasing the release date. So by the time we put the record out in May, we had already placed several songs." Half of Torches songs were licensed—among them are: "Pumped Up Kicks" (Gossip Girl
, The Vampire Diaries
, Friends with Benefits
, Entourage
), "Houdini" (Gossip Girl); "Helena Beat" (The Vampire Diaries); "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" (Suits
, Nissan Motors
commercial); and "Call It What You Want" (FIFA 12
). Palmer commented, "I haven't seen this kind of a range of song licenses from one album since we worked the first Ting Tings
record three-and-a-half years ago. That was an album where we licensed nine or [all] 10 songs on the album. We're kind of in a similar situation [with Torches]."
channel and Los Angeles terrestrial stations KROQ-FM
and KYSR
. Mark Foster credits Sirius XM's airplay with the song's success, saying, "Alt Nation played our music before any other radio outlet in the country." On January 29, the song debuted on Billboard
s Rock Songs
chart and a week later, it debuted on the Alternative Songs chart. In May, the track debuted at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100
, and later that month, the group released their first full-length studio album, Torches. The success of "Pumped Up Kicks" and appearances on many late-night talk shows, including Last Call with Carson Daly
, The Tonight Show
, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, helped the record debut at number eight on the Billboard 200
. To promote the album, the group staged a concert tour in the US and Europe, with most dates sold out.
"Pumped Up Kicks" proved to be a crossover hit, peaking at number three on the Rock Songs chart in July and number one on the Alternative Songs chart in June, while breaking into the top 40 of the Hot 100 in late July and appearing on the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40
charts. Columbia senior VP of promotion Lee Leipsner said, "It was one of the only alternative bands I remember in a while that you could actually dance to. And the fact that the record has a groove and rhythmic feel to it—not heavy guitar-based at all—gave us a wide opportunity to cross the record." He credits the song's crossover success and push into the top 40 to a June presentation of new music by Clear Channel
president of national programming platforms Tom Poleman. According to Leipsner, "After we showed our presentation, we had so many Clear Channel major-market programmers come up to us and say, 'The record I want to play besides Adele
is Foster the People.'" "Pumped Up Kicks" peaked at number three on the Hot 100, spending eight consecutive weeks at the position. According to Nielsen Soundscan
, over 321,000 copies of Torches have been sold in the US, and over 2 million digital copies of "Pumped Up Kicks" have been sold, making it the 25th-highest-selling digital song of 2011.
The band was named in a lawsuit filed by Brandon Dorsky on May 24, 2011 for breach of contract and other claims. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount in July 2011.
Foster the People appeared as the musical guest on the October 8, 2011 episode of Saturday Night Live
, playing "Pumped Up Kicks" and "Houdini". Kenny G
appeared as a guest performer on the latter song.
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band formed in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in 2009. The group is composed of Mark Foster (vocals, keyboards, piano, synthesizers, guitar, programming, percussion), Mark Pontius (drums and extra percussion), and Cubbie Fink (bass and backing vocals). The group's 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 wrote the song "Pumped Up Kicks
Pumped Up Kicks
"Pumped Up Kicks" is a song by American indie pop band Foster the People. It was released as the group's debut single in September 2010, and was later included on their EP Foster the People and their debut album Torches. The song was written and recorded by frontman Mark Foster while working as a...
", which became a viral success in 2010, the group was signed to Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
' imprint Startime International
Startime International
Startime International is an imprint of Columbia Records in New York City started and run by Isaac Green.-History:Green moved to Los Angeles and out of his apartment started the label, armed with one band, the French Kicks...
and gained a fanbase through small club shows and appearances at the music festivals Coachella
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
and South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
. After releasing their debut album Torches
Torches (album)
-Reception:Torches has received generally favorable reviews, according to Metacritic who gave it an aggregate score of 70. It debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200 chart, and sold 33,000 copies in the first week...
in May 2011, "Pumped Up Kicks" became a crossover hit on commercial radio in mid-2011, reaching number one on Billboards Alternative Songs chart, number three on the Rock Songs
Rock Songs
Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs...
chart, and number three on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, while charting on the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
charts.
Background and formation
While attending high school in Cleveland, Mark Foster—the group's lead singer and primary songwriter— was matched to the Air ForceUnited States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
by a vocational aptitude test. However, Foster hesitated at the prospect of fighting in the War in Iraq. At his father's encouragement, after graduating, Foster moved in with his uncle in Sylmar, Los Angeles in California to pursue a music career. Foster worked various odd jobs
Odd Jobs
Odd Jobs is an American comedy film produced by TriStar Pictures and HBO Films, and originally released to movie theatres in 1986.- Cast :* Paul Reiser - Max* Robert Townsend - Dwight...
and at night, he began to attend parties in Hollywood in an attempt to network. He said, "I felt like an 18-year-old Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author who wrote The Rum Diary , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 .He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to...
. 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
Brad Renfro
Brad Barron Renfro was an American actor. He made his film debut in 1994 at age 12 in the lead role of Joel Schumacher's The Client, going on to star in 21 feature films, several short films, and two television episodes during his career. Much of his later career was marred by a pattern of...
. 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."
Several attempts at founding a band proved unsuccessful. After turning 22, he says he was contacted by Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records. Current acts include Dr. Dre, Eminem, 50 Cent and Slim da Mobster, with former acts including Busta Rhymes, Game, Raekwon,...
about showcasing his musical talents, but the opportunity ultimately fell through. For the next few years, Foster worked at a cafe while dealing with writer's block
Writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked"...
, but he remained in Los Angeles after landing a job as a commercial jingle writer for Mophonics. He said of the profession, "I definitely learned from the commercial standpoint what works", and he credited the job with reviving his confidence in performing. The music Foster wrote spanned a wide range of genres, but he had difficulty reconciling his eclectic compositions. He explained: "I'd write one song and it'd be a hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
song. I'd write another and it'd be heavily electronic
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
. Another would be like a spiritual, and another would be classic piano song. I was constantly trying to pull those elements together. It took me six years to do it." He still wished to be part of a group; reflecting on a residency he did at a venue performing electronic music, he said, "It was just me and a laptop. Really, it was terrible. I knew I needed a band."
Foster the People was born out of a nascent relationship with drummer Mark Pontius, who left his group Malbec
Malbec (band)
Malbec is a Los Angeles-based rock–hip-hop–pop band, formed in 2003. They claim to be one of the first few bands to integrate sequenced hip-hop beats with modern pop stylings; their musical style includes influences from Southern hip hop, Britpop, classical compositions and folk music.-Career:They...
in 2009 to found a band with Foster. Pontius was impressed by the amount and diversity of songs that Foster had written to that point, saying, "Some were on the guitar, and some were on the computer. But it was this really awesome singer-songwriter thing with a tricked-out beat, and I felt we could go wherever we wanted with this." Foster's long-time friend Cubbie Fink joined the group soon afterwards as bassist. Mark Foster originally named the band Foster & the People, but people misheard it as "Foster the People". Eventually, he took to the nurturing image it evoked of "taking care" of people, so the name stuck.
Initial attention of "Pumped Up Kicks" and record deal
Not long after the group formed, Foster wrote and recorded a song at Mophonics called "Pumped Up KicksPumped Up Kicks
"Pumped Up Kicks" is a song by American indie pop band Foster the People. It was released as the group's debut single in September 2010, and was later included on their EP Foster the People and their debut album Torches. The song was written and recorded by frontman Mark Foster while working as a...
", a song that was the group's breakthrough. It appeared on the website supergoodmusic.com in early 2010, and after Foster posted the song on his own website as a free download, it drew the attention of Nylon
Nylon (magazine)
Nylon is an American magazine that focuses on pop culture and fashion. Its coverage includes art, beauty, music, design, celebrities, technology and travel...
magazine, who used the track in an online advertising campaign. The song continued to receive attention through various blogs and soon became big. Foster was emailed by many people about "Pumped Up Kicks", and needing professional guidance, he contacted artist manager Brent Kredel at Monotone, Inc. in March, saying, "Everyone is calling me and emailing me—what do I do? Who are the good guys, who are the bad guys?" Kredel recalled that "He went from the guy who couldn't get a hold of anyone to being the guy who had hundreds of emails in his inbox." Kredel and Brett Williams were subsequently hired to co-manage Foster the People, and they helped the group get meetings with several record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s, including Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
, Atlantic
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
, and Universal Republic. In May 2010, the band was signed to the Columbia imprint Startime International
Startime International
Startime International is an imprint of Columbia Records in New York City started and run by Isaac Green.-History:Green moved to Los Angeles and out of his apartment started the label, armed with one band, the French Kicks...
by Isaac Green in a multi-album deal. The deal did not involve ancillary rights, which pleased the band and their management. Foster controls publishing of the songs in North America, while a separate 2010 deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing
Sony/ATV Music Publishing is a music publishing company co-owned by The Michael Jackson Family Trust and Sony. The organisation was originally founded as Associated TeleVision in 1955 by Lew Grade. In 1957, ATV acquired Pye Records as a wholly owned subsidiary...
controls publishing outside of North America.
After Foster the People signed their record deal, Kredel said, "The focus was to stop everything and not work on any marketing or touring, but to make an album that backed up 'Pumped Up Kicks.'" Wishing to avoid burnout, Startime allowed the group to pace themselves and not rush an album that would cash in on the popularity of the song. Green said, "You can't control everything, but you can be meticulous about the music." The group spent July–September 2010 writing material that would appear on their debut album, and chose Paul Epworth
Paul Epworth
Paul Epworth is an award-winning British music producer, musician, and songwriter. His production credits include Adele, Cee Lo Green, Florence and the Machine, Plan B, Friendly Fires, Bloc Party, Primal Scream, The Rapture, Jack Peñate, Kate Nash and Maxïmo Park.-Lomax:From 2002-2004 Paul provided...
, Rich Costey
Rich Costey
Rich Costey is an American record producer, engineer, and mixer who has worked with many bands including Muse, Cave In, Thursday, Franz Ferdinand, Glasvegas, The Mars Volta, Doves, Bloc Party, Ontronik , Jimmy Eat World, My Chemical Romance, Supergrass, Audioslave, Rage Against the Machine, Nine...
, and Greg Kurstin
Greg Kurstin
Gregory Allen "Greg" Kurstin is an award-winning American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009 Kurstin received a Grammy Award nomination for Producer of the Year. That same year he won three Ivor Novello awards for his work with Lily Allen, including Songwriters of the Year for "The Fear"...
to co-produce the record with Mark Foster. In September, "Pumped Up Kicks" was released as the group's debut single.
Initial tour and music licensing
The fledgling group had yet to acquire much experience as a live act, and as a result, in October 2010, booking agent Tom Windish secured them several club shows "to help them get their sea legs." This proved difficult, as concert promoters were hesitant to book a group that had no previous touring experiences. Foster the People promoted these concerts by emailing fans who had downloaded "Pumped Up Kicks" from their website, notifying them of the shows. In early 2011, Windish convinced booker Paul Tollett to allow the band to perform in much sought-after tent at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts FestivalCoachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
in April. Meanwhile, the group continued to grow its fanbase with a month-long residency of concerts in January at The Echo
The Echo (venue)
The Echo is a venue/nightclub located in Echo Park in Los Angeles, California. It also hosted Arthur Magazine's yearly ArthurFest.-Notable performers:*Thao with The Get Down Stay Down*Air Traffic*An Albatross*Autolux*Band Of Horses*Beck...
nightclub in Los Angeles. By the group's third show at the venue, according to Windish, "there were hundreds of people trying to get in outside... It was an obvious turning point that could be measured in numbers." The residency also drew the attention of music supervisors in attendance who would later help the group license
Music licensing
Music licensing is the licensed use of copyrighted music. Music licensing is intended to ensure that the creators of musical works get paid for their work. A purchaser of recorded music owns the media on which the music is stored, not the music itself...
their music.
Foster the People issued its first commercial release in January 2011, a self-titled EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
featuring "Pumped Up Kicks", "Houdini", and "Helena Beat
Helena Beat
"Helena Beat" is a song by American indie pop group Foster the People, and the second single from the band's debut studio album, Torches. It was released as a free preview of the album on iTunes in the United States on May 24, 2011, and promotionally to radio airplay in the United Kingdom on...
" that was intended to hold fans over until their first studio album, Torches
Torches (album)
-Reception:Torches has received generally favorable reviews, according to Metacritic who gave it an aggregate score of 70. It debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200 chart, and sold 33,000 copies in the first week...
, was completed. Fans who purchased the EP through the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
were able to apply it towards the purchase of their full-length debut album. The EP drew the attention of organizers of March's South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
music festival, as well as executives looking to license music for upcoming season finales of television series. Columbia senior director of creative licensing Jonathan Palmer said, "The plan helped us a great deal to set up more opportunities rather than chasing the release date. So by the time we put the record out in May, we had already placed several songs." Half of Torches songs were licensed—among them are: "Pumped Up Kicks" (Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
, The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries
The Vampire Diaries is a young adult vampire horror series of novels written by L. J. Smith. The story centers around Elena Gilbert, a high school girl torn between two vampire brothers. The series was originally a trilogy published in 1991, but pressure from readers led Smith to write a fourth...
, Friends with Benefits
Friends With Benefits (Film)
Friends with Benefits is a 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Will Gluck and starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. The film features an ensemble cast which includes Woody Harrelson, Bryan Greenberg, Jenna Elfman, Richard Jenkins, Emma Stone and Patricia Clarkson...
, Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
), "Houdini" (Gossip Girl); "Helena Beat" (The Vampire Diaries); "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" (Suits
Suits (TV series)
Suits is a USA Network television drama series starring Gabriel Macht and Patrick J. Adams. The 12-episode first season debuted on June 23, 2011, with a 90-minute premiere. It was renewed for a second season of 16 episodes on August 11, 2011, expected to premiere in Summer 2012.- Overview :Mike...
, Nissan Motors
Nissan Motors
, usually shortened to Nissan , is a multinational automaker headquartered in Japan. It was a core member of the Nissan Group, but has become more independent after its restructuring under Carlos Ghosn ....
commercial); and "Call It What You Want" (FIFA 12
FIFA 12
FIFA 12 is the nineteenth game in Electronic Arts' FIFA series of association football video games. It was developed by EA Canada, and published by Electronic Arts worldwide under the EA Sports label. David Rutter, the line producer for FIFA 12, promised "a revolutionary year for FIFA .....
). Palmer commented, "I haven't seen this kind of a range of song licenses from one album since we worked the first Ting Tings
The Ting Tings
The Ting Tings are an English music duo comprising Jules de Martino and Katie White . They formed in December 2007 while based at Islington Mill Studios in Salford...
record three-and-a-half years ago. That was an album where we licensed nine or [all] 10 songs on the album. We're kind of in a similar situation [with Torches]."
Breakthrough of "Pumped Up Kicks" and release of Torches
Beginning in January 2011, many alternative radio stations began playing "Pumped Up Kicks", including Sirius XM satellite radio's Alt NationAlt Nation
Alt Nation is an Alternative rock radio station on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 36 , XM Satellite Radio channel 36 and on Dish Network channel 6036. Until February 9, 2010, it was on Direct TV channel 834.Alt Nation began back in 2002, when Sirius Satellite Radio launched...
channel and Los Angeles terrestrial stations KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
and KYSR
KYSR
KYSR is a commercial modern rock radio station in Los Angeles, California, covering the Los Angeles, Orange County, and Inland Empire areas on 98.7 FM. KYSR is also simulcasted on KSRY 103.1 FM in Tehachapi, California...
. Mark Foster credits Sirius XM's airplay with the song's success, saying, "Alt Nation played our music before any other radio outlet in the country." On January 29, the song debuted on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Rock Songs
Rock Songs
Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs...
chart and a week later, it debuted on the Alternative Songs chart. In May, the track debuted at number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and later that month, the group released their first full-length studio album, Torches. The success of "Pumped Up Kicks" and appearances on many late-night talk shows, including Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly is an American late night talk show that is broadcast on NBC. The show is hosted by Carson Daly, the half-hour show featuring celebrity interviews, documentary-style coverage of a topic, and musical performances. Last Call airs weeknights at 1:35 a.m. Eastern / 12:35 a.m....
, The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, helped the record debut at number eight on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. To promote the album, the group staged a concert tour in the US and Europe, with most dates sold out.
"Pumped Up Kicks" proved to be a crossover hit, peaking at number three on the Rock Songs chart in July and number one on the Alternative Songs chart in June, while breaking into the top 40 of the Hot 100 in late July and appearing on the Adult Top 40 and Mainstream Top 40
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
charts. Columbia senior VP of promotion Lee Leipsner said, "It was one of the only alternative bands I remember in a while that you could actually dance to. And the fact that the record has a groove and rhythmic feel to it—not heavy guitar-based at all—gave us a wide opportunity to cross the record." He credits the song's crossover success and push into the top 40 to a June presentation of new music by Clear Channel
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
president of national programming platforms Tom Poleman. According to Leipsner, "After we showed our presentation, we had so many Clear Channel major-market programmers come up to us and say, 'The record I want to play besides Adele
Adele (singer)
Adele Laurie Blue Adkins , known professionally as Adele, is an English singer-songwriter. She was the first recipient of the Brit Awards Critics' Choice and was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2008 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2008...
is Foster the People.'" "Pumped Up Kicks" peaked at number three on the Hot 100, spending eight consecutive weeks at the position. According to Nielsen Soundscan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
, over 321,000 copies of Torches have been sold in the US, and over 2 million digital copies of "Pumped Up Kicks" have been sold, making it the 25th-highest-selling digital song of 2011.
The band was named in a lawsuit filed by Brandon Dorsky on May 24, 2011 for breach of contract and other claims. The case was settled for an undisclosed amount in July 2011.
Foster the People appeared as the musical guest on the October 8, 2011 episode of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, playing "Pumped Up Kicks" and "Houdini". Kenny G
Kenny G
Kenneth Bruce Gorelick , better known by his stage name Kenny G, is an American, adult contemporary and smooth jazz saxophonist. His fourth album, Duotones, brought him breakthrough success in 1986...
appeared as a guest performer on the latter song.
Personnel
Two live musicians, Sean Cimino (guitar, keyboard, synthesizer, and backing vocals) and Isom Innis (keyboard, synthesizer, piano, maracas, percussion, and backing vocals), also tour with the band. Cimino is credited with guitar on the track "Waste" from the album Torches, while Innis's role in the album is unknown or possibly uncredited due to limited contributions on the album. Zach "Reazon" Heiligman (sampler, MPC (Music Production Center), programming, digital percussion, SFX, other production, minimal backing vocals) appears to have been a member of the band until early 2011; however, he shares co-writer and additional production credits on "Miss You" with Mark Foster, suggesting that Heiligman may play a more behind-the-scenes role now in production of certain tracks during studio sessions rather than in live shows. Heiligman, an MC and songwriter, is a close friend of Mark Foster as well and worked with him on a Hip-Hop project during periods before and during the formation of Foster the People.Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Alt Billboard charts The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine... |
US Rock Billboard charts The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
CAN Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
IRL Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
NZ |
NL MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
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| Torches Torches (album) -Reception:Torches has received generally favorable reviews, according to Metacritic who gave it an aggregate score of 70. It debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200 chart, and sold 33,000 copies in the first week... |
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8 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 13 | 27 | 53 | 61 | 24 |
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... : Gold Music Canada Music Canada was a Canadian music television miniseries which aired approximately monthly on CBC Television from 1966 to 1967.-Premise:This series featured various special productions of music and dance, from classical to modern styles.-Scheduling:... : Gold |
Extended plays
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Foster the People |
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Singles
| Single | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
US Alt |
US Rock Rock Songs Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs... |
AUS ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
CAN Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
CAN Alt Canadian rock/alternative chart The Canadian rock/alternative chart was first published on June 11, 1995 by RPM magazine under the name Alternative 30. The song which held the number-one spot on this first chart was "More Human than Human" by White Zombie... |
GER Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
IRL Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
NL MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
NZ Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
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| "Pumped Up Kicks Pumped Up Kicks "Pumped Up Kicks" is a song by American indie pop band Foster the People. It was released as the group's debut single in September 2010, and was later included on their EP Foster the People and their debut album Torches. The song was written and recorded by frontman Mark Foster while working as a... " |
2010 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 11 | 35 | 6 | 23 | 18 |
|
Torches |
| "Helena Beat Helena Beat "Helena Beat" is a song by American indie pop group Foster the People, and the second single from the band's debut studio album, Torches. It was released as a free preview of the album on iTunes in the United States on May 24, 2011, and promotionally to radio airplay in the United Kingdom on... " |
2011 | 121 | 9 | 15 | 64 | 100 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Call It What You Want" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" | — | 28 | 34 | — | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
Promotional singles
| Single | Year | NL MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Houdini" | 2011 | 98 | Torches |
Music videos
| Title | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| "Pumped Up Kicks" | 2011 | Josef Geiger |
| "Helena Beat" | Ace Norton | |
| "Call It What You Want" | ||
| "Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" | Daniels | |
| "Houdini" | Josef Geiger | |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Work | Nomination | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | MTV Video Music Awards MTV Video Music Awards An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos... |
Foster the People | Best New Artist MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist The MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist is one of the four original general categories that have been given out since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984... |
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| "Pumped Up Kicks" | Best Rock Video MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video was first given out in , and it was one of the four original genre categories added to the VMAs that year. That year, though, the award was called the Best Heavy Metal Video. From 1990 to 1995, the award was called the Best Metal/Hard Rock Video, and... |
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| Q Awards Q Awards The Q Awards are the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine Q. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards have become one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards, helped in no small part by the often boisterous behavior of the celebrities who attend the event... |
Foster the People | Best New Act | ||
| "Pumped Up Kicks" | Best Track | |||
| SharkOne Awards | Foster the People | New Artist of the Year | ||
| 2012 | 54th Grammy Awards 54th Grammy Awards The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will be held on February 12, 2012, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. It will be broadcasted on CBS. Nominations were announced on November 30, 2011 on prime-time television as part of "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live! – Countdown to Music's Biggest Night", a... |
Foster the People | Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance The Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance is a new category in the annual Grammy Awards ceremony from 2012.It combines the previous categories for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals.... |
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| Torches | Best Alternative Album Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album The Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album is an award presented to recording artists for quality albums in the alternative rock genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards... |