I love these guys and I cannot lie! Yes, I’m talking about Foster The People. And, Mark Foster is one of the modern songwriters I like following around. I bet every songwriter has that one artist who they draw inspiration from. I on the other hand have several. I like Mark Foster’s style though, the way he churns out crazy lines that somehow when put together makes sense like nothing else. I also like him for being so grounded and down to earth. That makes him such a monster on the social media too.
Not long ago the band came up with this brilliant idea of making a Spotify playlist and adding one song they are listening to every week to it. And I have been keeping a close eye on Mark’s jams. The developments have been interesting so far – I’ve discovered some new artists, realized that we do in fact have some common influences and also have also got an idea where he has been deriving his crazy from!
If you are a songwriter, hope to be one or just love songwriters a lot – here are some of Mark Foster’s favorites and some quotes by him about why, to serve as some fuel for your brain!
Beach House – PPP
"One thing I love about Beach House is that there is no mistake who it is when one of their songs come on. You could mute the vocal and you would still know it was Beach House. Conversely, you could mute the instrumentation and identify them by their vocal alone. This song PPP is my favorite off of their latest record Depression Cherry. The progression at the end is one of the most moving pieces of music I've heard in a long time." -Mark
James Supercave – The Right Thing
"James Supercave is a new artist as far as I can tell. As of right now he's only got a four song EP that came out at the end of April. It has a spirit of fearless exploration but invites you in to go on the ride. Pretty fresh stuff." - Mark
Louis Prima - Yes, We Have No Bananas
"Louis Prima is my go to artist for any kind of social hang. You can dance to it. You can put it on in the background. You can make out to it. You can drink whiskey and play poker with it. I love the spirit, the sense of humor, and the overall musicianship of all the players in his band. I never hear horns or strings like that on modern records. All those guys from that era had a special feel with their instruments, that seems to have only existed during that time." – Mark
Portishead - Silence
"Portishead was the first band that taught me how music can sound gut wrenchingly sad, scary, and soulful and the same time. I love this track "Silence" because there is so much beautiful tension. It simply strings me along not knowing if it's going to end beautifully or tragically, whether there's a pot of gold around the corner or a monster."
