Breakthrough Artist of September 2011: Foster the People

If you’re unsure who should be your new favourite artist, Dimas Pettigrew can help! Each month he will be telling you about the hottest new acts in the world and, of course, explaining why they’re so special.

We’ve had “Pumped Up Kicks,” the standout track from our favorite breakthrough artist of the month Foster The People, stuck in our heads since its release last year. Now, with the upcoming release of the L.A. indie rock group’s debut LP Torches, it’s time to bring you up to speed on this rapidly ascending group.

In 2010, the group’s three-song EP started making the rounds on countless blogs, fueled by the popularity of “Pumped Up Kicks” on The Hype Machine. A series of well-received South By Southwest shows solidified the group’s official buzz band status. Since then, they’ve spent the rest of the year touring and working on material for their proper debut, which has earned early comparisons to psychedelic soul artists MGMT.

We’ve got a ton of interviews for those of you still unfamiliar with your soon-to-be musical obsession: check out the guys discussing the loose nature of their songwriting process and see which romantic tearjerker drummer Mark Pontius watches when he has writer’s block. In the second video, the band waxes on their influences, drawing on everything from electronic music to Beach Boys to Motown. “We’re always on the verge of experimenting with different sounds,” says lead singer Mark Foster. “Electronic music is so versatile like that… Part of the fun of it is trying to come up with sounds that people haven’t heard before.”