News Foster The People

What’s the best way of finding out lots and lots about a new artist in quite a short period of time? Just ask them lots of questions really quickly.

We put our quickfire Q&A to Mark Foster from Foster The People, who release their debut album ‘Torches’ on 27th June, preceded by their second single ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ on 20th June. They’ve also a few festival appearances on the way; catch them at Glastonbury, Lovebox and Bestival.

Where did you all meet?
I met Mark Pontius and Cubbie Fink through mutual friends. I knew them both for about three years before we started the band together. They were playing in other projects and I eventually convinced them to start a band with me. After a month or so they quit the other things they were working on and we all just focused on Foster The People.

Are you working on a full-length album?
We finished our full length in January. It comes out next month. Our focus now is starting to write stuff for our second record.

What’s the best thing about being a band in LA?
When you need to take a break from rehearsal there’s always a killer taco stand nearby.

What has been your favourite moment as a band?
I’ll never forget our first show. That was the moment when I realised we had something really special. There were only about 30 people in the room but we were just having a blast on stage together.

When you first started to get into music, who was your favourite musician?
Brian Wilson.

Name one album that would appear in your Top Five of all time so far?
‘Combat Rock’ by the Clash.

If you had to learn a new instrument, what would you choose?
Cello.

What’s your favourite ‘being in a band’ perk?
Getting to see the world while doing what I love.

Where would you most like to be right now?
Berlin. And that happens to be exactly where we are right now.

What would your superpower be?
I’d love to be able to just touch a book and immediately know all the contents. What would that be called? ‘Nerdboy’?

What’s your most unappealing habit?
I bite my fingernails excessively.

Who would you most like to go on a huge world tour with?
Blur.

Are there any parts of being in a band you’d leave out if you could?
Yeah, drunk people’s dumb questions after we get off the stage.

Would you ever go solo?
That’s the world I came from so sure, but my focus right now is the band. Being a solo artist is a lonely life.

What was the last album / single you bought?
E.L.O’s Greatest Hits. Jeff Linn is a genius.

What is your music-purchasing format of choice?
I’ve been buying all my recent music on iTunes.

Recommend us a new band.
My favorite new band of the last two years has to be Little Dragon.

Where would you like to be this time next year?
I’d like to be in the studio recording our second record after a nice month long vacation on the beach.

What’s next on the cards for Foster The People?
I don’t know but we should definitely tip the dealer.

Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People

Houdini by Foster The People