Mark Foster (Foster the People): I Delivered Pizza and Worked Graveyard Shifts for Years Before ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ Blew Up

The Great Creators with Guy Raz

Mark Foster is the frontman for Foster the People, which rocketed to fame in 2011 on the strength of their very first single, ‘Pumped Up Kicks’.

Mark talks about growing up as a pastor’s son in Cleveland; nearly joining the military but choosing instead to move to L.A. to pursue his music dreams; falling into addiction and getting sober; feeling afraid to perform on SNL after becoming famous overnight; and his process for getting into a flow state in the studio.

Mark also reflects on the meaning of ‘Pumped Up Kicks’, more than a decade later – and shares how current events influenced the themes on the band’s newest album, ‘Paradise State of Mind’.

Check out the new album here: https://store.fosterthepeople.com/products/paradise-state-of-mind-cd

Links from the Show:

• Pumped Up Kicks (Official Video)
• Lost In Space (Official Video)
• Paradise State of Mind

For more conversations like this – with guests ranging from Tom Hanks to Bjork to Jason Sudeikis – go to https://www.thegreatcreators.com.

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