Pumped Up Kicks has a grim message about mental health and gun control hidden behind the upbeat music. Click here to learn more about Mark Foster, a singer-songwriter.
Pumped Up Kicks is a lively song with a funky groove that exemplifies Mark Foster’s musical prowess. His voice is similar of Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, and he composed and performed every instrument in the song.
Foster the People’s status in the music business was established by the beat of the song Dreams, which was influenced by Fleetwood Mac’s famous song. It was named one of the top 100 songs of the decade by Billboard.
Few people realize that the music they’ve been swaying or bobbing their heads to has a hidden message about gun control, bullying, and mental health.
QUICK FACTS
| Full Name | Mark Derek Foster |
| Professional Name | Mark Foster |
| Age | 36yo |
| Date of Birth | 29 February 1984 |
| Place of Birth | San Jose, California |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75m) |
| Ethnicity | German, English, Irish, distant Welsh |
| Lives in | California |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye color | Dark Brown |
| Profession | Musician, Singer, Songwriter |
| Education | Nordonia High School |
| Relationship status | Married |
| Wife | Julia Garner |
| Father | Daniel |
| Mother | Kathleen |
| Associated Acts | Foster the People, Jena Malone, Kimbra, Madeon, The Knocks |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Net worth | $5M |
| Hobbies | Travelling |
| Social media Presence | Fosterthepeople.com
https://www.instagram.com/markfoster/ https://twitter.com/fosterthepeople https://www.instagram.com/fosterthepeople/ |
| Albums | Torches (2011) Supermodel (2014) Sacred Hearts Club (2017) |
| Awards | New Artists of the Year, SharkOne Awards (2011)
Song of the Year, WEQX Awards (2011) Top Rock Song, Billboard Music Awards (2012) Best Director of a Band & Best Computer Effects, MVP Awards (2013) Top 40 Group of the Year, New Music Awards (2019, pending) |
| Trivia | He struggled with drug addiction in his 20s. |
Mark Foster Net Worth
| Estimated Net Worth 2020 | $5M |
| How Much Did Mark Foster Earn Last year? | $ 1M |
| What are Mark Foster’s Income Sources? | Concerts, Shows, Musical Scoring |
| How Much Does Mark Foster Earn from concerts and shows? | $1M |
| How Much Does Mark Foster Earn From Musical scoring? | $100K |
According to Variety.com. Mark Foster purchased a $2.1 million home in Hollywood Hills from famed soap opera star Maurice Benard in 2013.
The property, which sits on approximately 52,000 square feet of land, has been on the market since September 2008 for $3.6 million and then again late last year for $2.4 million, according to the listing.
The house has a total living area of 4,637 square feet and is surrounded by beautiful surroundings. There are three bedrooms and three bathrooms in this home. The two-story house has a library and sitting space, as well as a big family room with tile floors, wall-to-wall windows, wood floors, and pitched beam ceilings.
A private screening room, a gym, and a large deck are all included with the property.
Mark Foster’s huge property appears to be capable of hosting a mini-concert.
Family of Mark Foster
Daniel and Kathleen Foster are Mark Foster’s parents. He was an only kid who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, despite being born in California.
His maternal grandpa was born to American parents in Bolivia. Mark’s great maternal grandparents immigrated to Pennsylvania from Germany.
Mark has a tattoo of boxing gloves to honor his grandfather, who was a boxer. He owes his father for encouraging him to pursue his dreams.
Mark Foster’s Childhood
Foster was a multi-instrumentalist who sang in the Cleveland Orchestra Children’s Chorus and played the drums, guitar, and piano. He used to perform in garage bands when he was a teenager.
Foster stated in an interview that he began attending music performances at the age of 13 to see local bands perform. He stated it was nice to have a “family” in the local music scene because he didn’t feel like he had one at school.
Later, he was a member of a hardcore band and performed at such Cleveland hotspots as Peabody’s, Phantasy, and The Pit.
Education by Mark Foster
He graduated from Nordonia High School in Macedonia, Ohio, then relocated to Sylmar, California, on his father’s suggestion, to pursue his musical career.
He stayed with an uncle in California for several years, but he struggled to break into the industry.
Early Career of Mark Foster
Foster was the embodiment of a hungry artist for the next eight years, working odd jobs including painting homes, telemarketing, bartending, and waiting tables to build his network.
Foster had a glimpse of hope for a solo career when he was 22, when he was offered a job with Dr. Dre’s record company, Aftermath Entertainment, but the agreement fell through.
He subsequently spent roughly seven years writing songs and music for comedian Andy Dick’s film and television productions.
Foster also worked as a music producer, writing songs for artists such as Frodad and The Rondo Brothers. He composed commercial jingles for Mophonics, a music writing and production firm, in 2008.
Mark Foster’s solo songs
Mark released a nine-track solo album in 2009 before becoming famous with Foster the People. Downtown was dedicated to the late Brad Renfro, who died of a heroin overdose, and Ballad of Andy was dedicated to Andy Dick, with whom Mark collaborated for numerous years.
Another song, “Polartropic (You Don’t Understand Me),” was used in the 2012 animated film Frankenweenie’s soundtrack.
Foster The People
Foster, along with two buddies, Mark Pontius (drummer) and Jacob “Cubbie” Fink, ultimately formed a band in 2009. (bassist). They were all budding artists who worked odd jobs while waiting for a break, according to a CNN interview.
The band’s initial name was “Foster and the People,” but many of their friends misunderstood it for “Foster the People,” so they stayed with it.
Torches was published in 2011, Supermodel was released in 2014, and Sacred Hearts Club was released in 2017.
Kicks that are pumped up
In five hours, Foster penned and recorded the song, which went on to become the band’s debut single. He published it online in 2010 and garnered positive reception, leading to appearances on television series such as Entourage and commercials for Nylon and other firms. Columbia Records signed the band the same year as a result of the song’s growing popularity.
In September and October of 2011, the song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. In February 2012, it was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.
The Song About Gun Control and Mental Health by Mark Foster
Foster was inspired to compose the lyrics for Pumped Up Kicks after becoming concerned about the rise in mental health concerns among teenagers and the rise in mass shootings. The chorus of the song serves as a stark warning to the victims: “better run, better run, quicker than my bullet.”
Foster claimed to being tormented in high school in an interview, while bassist Jacob Fink’s cousin was a victim of the 1999 Columbine School tragedy.
Sandy Hook Elementary School Massacre
When the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre occurred just weeks after the song had topped the Billboard Hot 100, the song became contentious. Radio stations momentarily stopped playing the song, and MTV bleeped the words “gun” and “bullet” from the chorus.
Adam Lanza, the gunman, was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome and suffered from depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder while he was in his teens. Lanza’s fascination with violence and availability to lethal weapons, according to the Office of the Child Advocate report, proved to be a “recipe for mass murder.”
Wife of Mark Foster
Mark Foster married Ozark actress Julia Garner before the year ended. Foster’s Instagram account posted a photo of the pair in a cab with the destination New York City Hall. In the aforementioned post, Foster included a ring emoji.
Garner, who is ten years her junior, appears in the Netflix crime drama Ozark, for which she won an Emmy in 2019 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Garner congratulated Foster for the prize, calling him “the love of my life.”
Although no official announcement was made, speculations spread that Foster proposed to Garner in Yellowstone National Park in May 2019.
People should be encouraged to collaborate with other artists.
The Beach Boys are one of his biggest influences, and Foster the People, along with Maroon 5, performed alongside them at the 2012 Grammy Awards.
In 2012, the band performed in Dublin, Ireland, where they met and spent the evening at Bono’s residence, talking about music, art, and poetry.
Imagine Dragons’ Mark Foster Apologizes
On Twitter in 2019, Mark apologized to Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds, saying: “I would like to apologize to Dan Reynolds and his band Imagine Dragons. In a passing moment last year, I let some words come out of my mouth that don’t reflect who I am, or what I stand for.”
Following a 2018 interview in which Foster joked that he and his bandmates offered Imagine Dragons all of their terrible stuff left on the cutting room floor, the band issued an apology.
Foster the People: Band Tours, Songs
The band is still touring the world, and their audio CD records may be purchased on Amazon.