MUSIC

with The Cults, Reptar

Foster the People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles, California in 2009. Members Mark Foster (vocals, keyboards, piano, synthesizers, guitar, programming, percussion), Mark Pontius (drums and extra percussion), and Cubbie Fink (bass and backing vocals) formed the band while in their mid-twenties. Mark Pontius used to play drums and shoot/edit the music videos for the indie pop band Malbec.

Mark Foster originally named his 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 the people, so the name stuck.

NPR credits the band's rise to fame to getting play on The Hype Machine and performances at South by Southwest.

The band is best known for its song "Pumped Up Kicks", which reached number one on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart, number 3 on the Rock Songs tally and number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.