PUMPED UP KIDS - FOSTER THE PEOPLE

Mark Foster is front man of indie pop band, Foster The People, who – fresh from performing at Glastonbury – today release their debut album, Torches. More than just a front and lead vocalist, Foster also plays keyboards, piano, synths, guitar and percussion for the band, and is joined by drummer Mark Pontius and bassist Cubbie Fink. We Q+A Foster on the bands origins and summer plans.

Describe your music in five words?
Ironic, multi-layered, quirky, intelligent pop

What is the explanation behind the band name?
When we first formed we played a few charities and that really helped define our vision for the band. I think that opened our eyes to the possibility of helping people as a band and not making it a selfish endeavor.

How did you come together as a band?
I was friends with Cubbie Fink and Mark Pontius for a few years and would play together every so often. We were all busy working on other musical projects at the time but eventually we got more serious and made this our priority. Things started to move pretty quick after that.

There are two Mark’s in the band – does this ever cause confusion?
Yeah sometimes. We pretty much go by nicknames now. We call Mark Pontius “Ponsi” or just “Pontius”. People tend to call me Foster.

What are the inspirations behind your music?
I like to write in character a lot. It’s really interesting to see life through other people’s eyes. Parts of the record are autobiographical but most of it is lived out through someone else. I think the overall theme of Torches is “hope for the underdog”.

You’ve been compared to Peter, Bjorn and John, MGMT and The Feeling – but who are your musical influences?
The Beach Boys are the biggest influence on me musically but some other influences are Blur, Aphex Twin, New Order, Stanley Kubrick, Andy Warhol, C.S. Lewis.

You have a track called Houdini – have you ever had any lucky escapes?
Yeah I escaped out of the coffee shop I was working in. I was starting to doubt if it would ever happen.

You have a few summer festival gigs lined up – which are you most looking forward to?
We’ve heard a lot of really amazing things about Sasquatch. We’re looking forward to seeing the Gorge. Also at the top of our list is probably, Splendour in the Grass in Australia, and then a festival in Madrid.

What has been your worst live performance experience to date?
Coachella has probably been the best. That was the first time we played in front of 10,000+ people. The adrenaline when you’re in front of a crowd like that is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. In terms of the worst, we played a gig in Arizona where we had to cram all our gear on a tiny little stage. Things were getting stepped on and unplugged and during parts of our show when band members would have to cross the stage to play on a different synthesizer or whatever, they’d have to walk out into the crowd and go around because there was just no way to get through. On top of it all, a fight broke out during ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ and bouncers broke through the crowd and tossed the guys out.

What else do you have planned for the summer?
We’re basically going to be on the road touring this record until the end of the year. But my main goal right now is to start writing the second record.

[Originally published on wonderlandmagazine.com/blog]

THE VACCINES

London band The Vaccines exploded onto the music scene at the tail end of last year with their single, Wreckin' Bar (Ra, Ra, Ra), and released their debut album, What Did You Expect From The Vaccines, in March amongst much anticipation. Awards nominations have been lavished upon the boys ranging from the BBC’s Sound of 2011 to MTV’s Best New Band Latest single and this summer they look forward to tearing up the festival circuit. Latest single, All In White, is released today, and we caught lead singer Justin Young for a quick Q+A about the band’s sound, style and summer hopes.

Describe your sound in five words
Simple, direct, referential, fresh, honest

You were given a golden ticket by being praised by seemingly everyone long before you released your album - have you felt pressure to maintain a level of expectation?
I think we felt some pressure. Who wouldn’t? But we were lucky enough to have finished writing our album before it all began. So it never interfered with us creatively. And on a personal level, we were touring pretty heavily. We weren’t sat at home googling people’s predictions, we were sound checking in Middlesborough. Also, we all felt confident that we had a good thing going and I think that helped. Anyway, now the album is out, people are free to celebrate or ignore. I think we all feel good right now.

You lost out in the BBC’s Sound Of 2011 to Jessie J - are you bitter?
No. I’m not sure it’s something bands pay too much attention to. I think just as many people are turned off you by your inclusion in things like this as they are turned on to you. I personally found it quite fun being included in the list. But none of us thought about it much. The Bravery won it a few years ago. I think that tells you all you need to know. I like Jessie J. I like pop music. She is catchy enough. Good voice.

What awards would you want to win?
I’ve always found people awarding creativity slightly strange. It’s a subjective process so adding a competitive element doesn’t seem right. That said, I never won anything as a kid, so I’d probably take anything going.

You’re about to head off round the festival circuit - which festivals do you expect you’ll enjoy?
I’m looking forward to Glastonbury. Ibiza Rocks sounds nice and Lollapalooza in Chicago. We’re playing 45. Hopefully they’ll all be fun.

Which other acts are you looking forward to watching perform while at the festivals?
I haven’t really had a chance to see who is playing. I know we’re playing with Beirut, Arcade Fire and My Morning Jacket. We had to pull out of Primavera. We were all pretty gutted. I think that had the best line-up of the summer.

What has been your most memorable gig to date?
Playing Bowery Ballroom in New York in January. It was Arni’s first time in America and we sold it out. It’s pretty exciting walking on stage in city like New York to a packed out room of people there to listen to your music. It’s always strange when your music precedes you. We had a good gig. And a good party too.

Your new single is All In White - the colour white is very on trend right now. Are The Vaccines particularly fashion conscious?
This is an observation my girlfriend has already made! We are. It’s something I’ve always taken an interest in. I think we’re definitely understated in what we wear. But I think knowing what not to wear is as important as knowing what to wear. I also think that part of being in a pop band is looking good. I want to feel good when I walk on stage or when someone takes my photo but I don’t like feeling like I’m trying too hard. We’re all really into 50s and 60s American fashion.

Where is your favourite place to go for a drink?
We get to go to so many on tour. My friends just opened a great place in Paris called Le Carmen. When I’m in London, I just like the pub. I like the John Snow in Soho.

What has been the most disastrous night of drinking the band have experienced together?
It involved a married couple.

AIMEE TEEGARDEN

The latest live action movie from Disney returns to High School, but this time not for a Musical. Instead turning to the end-of-senior-year formal, Prom is a lighthearted drama/comedy which sets Aimee Teegarden’s Nova Prescott up with notorious school bad boy Jesse Richter (Thomas McDonell) after an accidental fire destroys the prom decorations and Nova has no-one else to help her. Will they be able to work together and save the day? Will they discover feelings for each other along the way? Well, could those High School Musical kids sing?
Cinemagoers will recognise Teegarden as one of the opening victims in Scream 4 from earlier this year and the 21-year-old actress certainly has playing the high school role down having starred in the critically acclaimed American TV show, Friday Nigh Lights that focused on high school footballers. We Q+A Aimee about this latest film project, her entry into acting and working with Wes Craven.

What is your earliest memory of film?
My earliest memory of film is probably one of the Disney movies, like, Pocahontas or something like that. And no, I’m not contracted to say that! [laughs]

When did you decide you wanted to act?
I grew up watching a lot of I love Lucy and I think around 5 or 6 I knew I wanted to do whatever it was she did. I didn’t understand the concept, obviously, but I wanted to perform and then I finally convinced my parents when I was about 10 to embark on that and take some classes. I think they were thinking I would get bored of it and move on – but here I am! When I was about 15 I got really serious about wanting to make a career out of it and then I got lucky and worked on a TV show for five years and after that got really lucky again and started working in movies.

Your new film Prom sees you falling for ‘the bad guy’ – have you ever been attracted to a bit of rough in your real life?
I think every girl at one point or another is attracted to the off kilter kind of guy. But luckily I’ve never had any stories to tell from dating someone like that. I mean… I suppose I have dated someone who’s not as sweet a person as I had hoped.

What was your experience of Prom when you were younger?
It wasn’t anything quite as exciting as the movie. I wasn’t involved in any of the decorations or the prom committee or anything like that. But it was great. I was with my friends and we had dinner before and went dancing. Nothing crazy!

And what was it that attracted you to this role?
It was very different than anything I had done before and I really enjoyed the complexity of the different characters. It’s not one of those movies where we’ve dumbed down to the lowest common denominator – it’s high school and in reality there are a lot of struggles that go on in daily lives in high school. I thought it was interesting and well portrayed in the script and the director [Joe Nussbaum] was so passionate about how he wanted to shoot it.

It’s a contrast to being murdered in the opening of Scream 4 – what was the experience of being killed on screen like?
It was so much fun! I get to be part of such an iconic franchise and got to work with Wes Craven and seeing ghostface on set – it was such an experience and definitely one of those things you can check off the list. In life I have this determination to try everything once and with my career I want to diversify in every kind of genre and see different sides of movies. Are horror films less scary now I know how they’re made? I don’t think so because even on set it’s actors and you know its all fake blood but it’s still has it’s scary moments!

We have to ask – “what’s your favourite scary movie?”
I’m not a big scary movie person. I enjoy the kind of the classic screamer movies like Friday The 13th and that kind of stuff as opposed to the kind of human mutilation screaming torture thing.

You were also in NBC’s Friday Night Lights – are high school roles something you are attracted to?
I guess I’m at a certain age where I’m limited to the age I can play so I guess high school is where I am right not until I get older. But there is something special about that time in life between high school and college where you are figuring out who you are and making those pivotal decisions that will affect the rest of your life.

What can you tell us about your next projects?
Right now there’s a couple of things I am working on and I’m looking for the next great project – but nothing I want to talk about right now.

What do you hope Prom achieves following its release?
I hope that it is the type of film that teenagers can go to and parents can go to and even someone who went to Prom 40 years ago can watch and have it be relatable. And for me, I wanted to be part of something that will hopefully be my generations Pretty In Pink or Breakfast Club.

[Originally published on wonderlandmagazine.com/blog]