Mark Derek Foster (born February 29, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician, best known as the lead singer of the band
Foster the People. After struggling to create a successful band in his early 20s, Foster finally had his big break as one of the co-founders of Foster the People in 2009, which he formed alongside his two friends
Mark Pontius and
Cubbie Fink. The band has since released three studio albums: ''
Torches'' in 2011, ''
Supermodel
A supermodel, also spelled super-model or super model, is a highly paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in '' haute couture'' and commercial modeling. The term ''supermodel'' became prominent in the ...
'' in 2014, and ''
Sacred Hearts Club'' in 2017.
Early life
Mark Foster was born on February 29, 1984, in
Milpitas, California, and was raised outside
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...
, Ohio.
As a boy, he sang in the
Cleveland Orchestra
The Cleveland Orchestra, based in Cleveland, is one of the five American orchestras informally referred to as the " Big Five". Founded in 1918 by the pianist and impresario Adella Prentiss Hughes, the orchestra plays most of its concerts at Sev ...
Children’s Chorus and played the drums, guitar, and piano. As a teenager, he played in garage bands.
His first gig came in 2001, when his high-school band competed in a local
Battle of the Bands. In 2002, he graduated from
Nordonia High School in
Macedonia, Ohio.
Career
Early career (2002–2008)
After graduating from high school in 2002, Foster decided on his father's advice to move out and live with an uncle in the
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ...
neighborhood of
Sylmar, Los Angeles, so that he could be closer to pursuing his musical dreams. In an interview with
NPR's David Greene, Foster detailed his reaction to the intimidating city into which he had thrown himself, reflecting: "You really got to have a strong sixth sense to be able to kind of navigate the waters because the weird thing about LA is just—especially in Hollywood—is just like, the entertainment industry is kind of bizarre. It was the first time that I realized that people that were mentally ill also happened to be in like, powerful positions."
Foster's early years in Los Angeles were very difficult for him; of that time, he said "For eight years, I just scraped by as a starving artist delivering pizzas, sleeping on couches, sleeping in my car and all of those things."
Foster worked various odd jobs during his first several years on his own while trying to grow his own social network. These included waiting tables, painting houses, telemarketing, and bartending. In a 2012 interview with ''
The Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
'', he talked about how he particularly valued bartending and encouraged aspiring musicians to follow in his footsteps: "Kids hit me up on Twitter and I tell them to learn how to bar-tend. There are career waiters in Los Angeles and they're making over $100,000 a year."
In his first six years in Los Angeles, Foster did not have much success with breaking into the music business as a solo artist. At age 21, his band almost secured a record deal in New York. About two years later, he was given the opportunity to work with
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young (born February 18, 1965), known professionally as Dr. Dre, is an American rapper and record producer. He is the founder and CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and Beats Electronics, and previously co-founded, co-owned, and w ...
's record label,
Aftermath Entertainment
Aftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by hip hop producer and rapper Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Interscope Records.
Current acts include Dr. Dre himself, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, ...
. However, the deal fell through and he was left without solid footing for a solo musical career. Foster co-composed and performed lead vocals on the Toques' song "
Breakdown", featured in the 2006 film ''
Stick It
Stick or the stick may refer to:
Thin elongated objects
* Twig
* The weapon used in stick fighting
* Walking stick, a device to facilitate balancing while walking
* Shepherd's crook
* Swagger stick
* Digging stick
* Swizzle stick, used to stir ...
''. He found early work as a musician working for comedian
Andy Dick, for whom he wrote songs and scores for film, television, and short film projects, as well as toured with, over a period of around seven years.
As a solo artist, Foster wrote the song "The Ballad of Andy", detailing the life and tribulations of Dick. Foster also worked as a music producer, producing songs for bands like Frodad and
The Rondo Brothers, among others.
At the same time, Foster was a drug addict, but after seeing its impact on his health and his friends, he decided that he would rehabilitate himself. He talked about his previous addiction in 2014, saying, "I work really hard to stay grounded and not let any of that stuff influence how I live my life. A lot of it is a mirage, and an unhealthy one to buy into."
His roommate, actor and singer
Brad Renfro, also was a drug addict, dying from a heroin overdose on January 15, 2008. Foster was the producer of the last song that Renfro ever recorded.
Fifteen months after his former roommate's death, Foster released a song called "Downtown", on which he reflects on the life and death of Renfro.
Foster the People (2008–present)
Foster finally landed a job as a commercial jingle writer for the record label Mophonics in 2008. In this position, he was able to write jingles for brands such as
Honey Bunches of Oats and
Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc., commonly known as Verizon, is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered at 1095 Avenue of the Americas i ...
. (Foster has discussed his use of
medical cannabis
Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restriction ...
, prescribed for
work-related stress, in the composition process.) However, he was still struggling with finding the right tunes to further break into the music industry. Due to issues of
writer's block
Writer's block is a condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Mike Rose found that this creative stall is not a result of commitment problems or t ...
and being unable to focus various elements of his music together, he came to the realization that he needed help in the form of members of a band.
The following year, Foster recorded and released his first and so far, only solo album, ''Solo Songs''. The nine-track album included demo versions of two songs from the ''
Torches'' album, "
Don't Stop (Color on the Walls)" and "I Would Do Anything for You". Another song called "Polartropic (You Don't Understand Me)" was featured in the
soundtrack of the 2012 animated film ''Frankenweenie''. He played solo shows around Los Angeles to support his record.
In October 2009, Foster organized a three-person band made up of himself, colleague
Mark Pontius, and longtime friend
Jacob "Cubbie" Fink (whom Foster had initially met through a mutual friend whilst attending
acting school). Pontius was so appreciative of Foster's musical style that he left his band
Malbec
Malbec () is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. In France, plantations of Malbec are n ...
to join him as the drummer of the new band. Fink had recently lost his position at a television production company as a result of the
recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various ...
, so he joined as the bassist. The band was initially going to be called "Foster and the People", but after the majority of his friends mistook the name as "Foster the People", Foster decided to name it the latter instead. He preferred the title "Foster the People" as it conjured an image of care and development.
The first song Foster released with the band was "
Pumped Up Kicks
"Pumped Up Kicks" is a song by American indie pop band Foster the People. It was released as the band's debut single in September 2010, and the following year was included on their EP ''Foster the People'' and their debut album, ''Torches''. "Pu ...
", a song about gun violence recorded at Mophonics in 2009. He wrote and recorded the song in five hours using
Logic Pro
Logic Pro is a digital audio workstation (DAW) and MIDI sequencer software application for the macOS platform. It was originally created in the early 1990s as Notator Logic, or Logic, by German software developer C-Lab which later went by ...
software, originally intending the first version to be only the demo. The demo ended up becoming the full version of the song and "Pumped Up Kicks" was released by Foster online in early 2010. Through internet outlets, the song gradually gained traction with the public, eventually making its way to television shows like ''
Entourage'' and advertising campaigns for companies like ''
Nylon
Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic.
Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petr ...
''. In May 2010, the band was signed to
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
imprint
Startime International for a multi-album deal due to the song's increasing success. It was officially released as the band's first single on September 14, 2010, and would go on to produce an immense popular following for the band.
In January 2011, "Pumped Up Kicks" was released on the band's first non-commercial single release, ''
Foster the People'', and started to climb the American charts a few months later. It was labeled as a "
sleeper hit
In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit is a film, television series, music release, video game, or some other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release but became a success later on. A sleeper hit may have little prom ...
" due to its slow rise in popularity. It eventually peaked at number 3 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 starting with the week of September 10, 2011, and ending on the week of October 29, 2011. It was nominated for the
Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance in February 2012. "Pumped Up Kicks" was certified Diamond by the RIAA, one of only 64 songs to achieve that certification.
On May 23, 2011, the band's first studio album, ''
Torches'', was released and earned Foster his second Grammy Award nomination, one for
Best Alternative Music Album. He has stated that the album was one produced from "perspiration over inspiration." It also peaked at number 8 on the
''Billboard'' 200.
Alongside Isom Innis, then a touring member of the band, Mark Foster produced
electronic music
Electronic music is a Music genre, genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or electronics, circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromech ...
as Mister Smims of the duo
Smims & Belle. Under this moniker, Foster and Innis released a notable remix of "
Blue Jeans" by
Lana Del Rey
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent ...
in 2012, featuring
Azealia Banks. Smims & Belle's final (confirmed) release to date was their 2014 remix of a single from Foster the People's second album.
Three years after ''Torches'', the band released their second album, ''
Supermodel
A supermodel, also spelled super-model or super model, is a highly paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in '' haute couture'' and commercial modeling. The term ''supermodel'' became prominent in the ...
'', on March 14, 2014. It is currently their highest-peaking studio album on the ''Billboard'' 200, at number 3. Foster has said that the theme of the album was influenced by his fascination with the "ugly side" of
capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, private pr ...
as well as the popularity of social media and the social pressures humans feel. In response, he has marked it as a piece which reminds him of the fortune of having a supportive community to maintain an optimistic attitude. He discussed with the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' the revelations he had while touring for the previous album that helped him formulate the theme behind Supermodel: "I went to India, I spent some time in the Middle East and I went to Northern Africa — places where the priorities are completely different. Those cultures aren't focused on individuals. They're focused on communities. That changed how I will look at life. I saw people who had joy and human connections and they don't have one one-thousandth of the things we have here. But they have something we don't have, 'a sense of community.'"
In June 2014,
Luke Pritchard – with whom Foster had collaborated previously – revealed that the pair had between three and four unfinished tracks yet to be released.
In 2015, Foster was a producer of the soundtrack for the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
drama ''
Little Boy
"Little Boy" was the type of atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 during World War II, making it the first nuclear weapon used in warfare. The bomb was dropped by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress ''Enola Gay'' ...
'' (of which one track featured
Mark Pontius). It was his first experience scoring a film, and was especially exciting to him due to the "guitar-driven" soundtrack he created.
On July 21, 2017, Foster the People released its third album, ''
Sacred Hearts Club'', an album influenced by the global issues of the current times and the sentiment that Foster felt for those affected by events associated with terrorism, racism, homophobia, and elections. Foster said upon the album's release: "I wanted to slap people a little bit, throw some cold water on them. This record, it would have felt wrong to do that. I felt like people needed a hug." The album features hit single "Sit Next to Me", which has been RIAA certified Double Platinum.
In September 2019, Foster the People released the EP ''Pick U Up''. The band has also released two (non-EP) singles, a reworking of a Mobley song, and several collaborations with
The Knocks,
MØ and
Louis the Child. Mark Foster is currently co-writing a horror film.
In December 2020, Foster debuted his radio show ''Escapology'' on
Sirius XM
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Siriu ...
's
Alt Nation. On December 11, the band released their EP ''In the Darkest of Nights, Let the Birds Sing,'' a record based on the concept of love.
In August 2021, it was announced that Foster would feature on
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...
's forthcoming album ''
Red (Taylor's Version)
''Red (Taylor's Version)'' is the second re-recorded album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Released via Republic Records on November 12, 2021, as a part of Swift's countermeasure against the purchase of the masters of her back cat ...
'', which was released on the same day as Foster the People's ''
Torches X'' in November 2021. Foster had originally co-written the song "Forever Winter" with Swift in May 2012.
Artistry
One of Foster's major musical influences has been
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by their ...
. He and his band performed with them at the
2012 Grammy Awards, and the two bands were able to become well-acquainted in the week of practices leading up to the performance.
Personal life
In 2013, Foster purchased actor
Maurice Benard
Maurice Benard (born March 1, 1963) is an American actor. In 1993, he was cast as Sonny Corinthos on the ABC soap opera ''General Hospital''.
Early life and career
Benard was born Mauricio José Morales in Martinez, California, the son of Mart ...
's $2.1 million home in
Hollywood Hills, California.
Foster has said that he likes travelling frequently because of the break from the special treatment he receives in the U.S. for being famous: "Our society worships the entertainment industry more than at any other time in the history of the planet. People worship anyone in the entertainment industry. You can be a used car salesman and have a television commercial on the local station and that makes you a celebrity."
On the relationship between popularity and craft, he said, "I think that there's a difference between being an entertainer and being an artist. I think artists throughout the history of time have always been controversial and have been a voice to speak to public culture in a way a politician can't because they'll lose their constituency. But artists, I think historically, have shined a magnifying glass on culture and have talked to it.
..I don't consider myself an entertainer. I consider myself an artist, and I think with that comes responsibility."
Foster married actress
Julia Garner
Julia Garner (born February 1, 1994) is an American actress. She is best known for her starring role as Ruth Langmore in the Netflix crime drama series ''Ozark'' (2017–2022), for which she received critical acclaim and won three Primetime Emm ...
in a December 2019 ceremony at the
New York City Hall
New York City Hall is the seat of New York City government, located at the center of City Hall Park in the Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan, between Broadway, Park Row, and Chambers Street. Constructed from 1803 to 1812, the building is ...
, eight months after they got engaged.
Discography
As a solo artist
* "Sorry Little Lucy" (2007)
* ''Solo Songs'' (2009)
* "Polartropic (You Don't Understand Me)" (2012) for
Frankenweenie
* ''
Little Boy (soundtrack)'' (2015) with Stephan Altman
* ''Let Me Go (The Right Way)
oundtrack' (2022)
Miscellaneous
* Scores for the short films Adcorp, Inc. (2005), Division III (2006), Just the Worst (2008), and The Andys
* "Spring Break it Down" for
Muscle Milk
* "Beautiful Day" / "Hello" / "Lightspeed" / "Dreamer" / "Love Is Here to Stay"
* "Sandy"
* "Everyday"
* "Untitled Demo 2010"
* "Untitled Demo 2012"
* "Untitled Demo 2016"
* "
Spire Studio Demo" (2019) for
iZotope
iZotope, Inc. is an audio technology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. iZotope develops professional audio software for audio recording, mixing, broadcast, sound design, and mastering which can be used in wide range of d ...
* "Graduation Speech in 60 Seconds" (2020) for
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...
* "On/Off"
* "Lovers in a Stream"
As Smims & Belle (with Isom Innis)
* "
Blue Jeans (Remix)" (2012) with
Lana Del Rey
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent ...
and
Azealia Banks
* "Beat Illuminati" (2012)
* "
Best Friend (Remix)" (2014) with Foster the People
* "Ghetto Blastah" (2015)
With Foster the People
* ''
Torches'' (2011)
* ''
Supermodel
A supermodel, also spelled super-model or super model, is a highly paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in '' haute couture'' and commercial modeling. The term ''supermodel'' became prominent in the ...
'' (2014)
* ''
Sacred Hearts Club
''Sacred Hearts Club'' is the third studio album by American indie pop band Foster the People, released on July 21, 2017, through Columbia Records. The album was preceded by the extended play '' III'', which is composed of three tracks from the ...
'' (2017)
*''In The Darkest of Nights, Let The Birds Sing'' EP (2020)
Guest vocals
* "Ride or Die" (2018) with
The Knocks; vocals and other instruments on the track
* "Blur" (2018) with
MØ; vocals on the track
* "Every Color" (2020) with
Louis the Child
Louis the Child (893 – 20/24 September 911), sometimes called Louis III or Louis IV, was the king of East Francia from 899 until his death and was also recognized as king of Lotharingia after 900. He was the last East Frankish ruler of the Car ...
; vocals and composition
* "All About You" (2020) with The Knocks
* ''Melody & Silence'' EP (2021) with The Knocks
* "Hyperlandia" (2021) with
deadmau5
Joel Thomas Zimmerman (born January 5, 1981), known professionally as Deadmau5 (stylized as deadmau5; pronounced "dead-mouse"), is a Canadian electronic music producer and DJ. He mainly produces progressive house music, though he also produces ...
Guest appearances
Songwriting and production credits
Notes
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Mark
1984 births
Living people
21st-century American singers
Alternative rock guitarists
Alternative rock singers
American alternative rock musicians
American dance musicians
American electronic musicians
American indie pop musicians
American indie rock musicians
American male guitarists
American male pop singers
American male singers
American male songwriters
American pop guitarists
American pop rock singers
American rock guitarists
American rock singers
American rock songwriters
Columbia Records artists
Dance-pop musicians
Guitarists from California
Guitarists from Ohio
Musicians from Cleveland
Musicians from San Jose, California
People from Macedonia, Ohio
People from Milpitas, California
Singers from California
Singers from Ohio
Songwriters from California
Songwriters from Ohio