GUIDE TO FALLS FESTIVAL
LIKE many of us, Mark Foster — frontman and namesake of Californian indie-pop band Foster the People — had grown sick of waking up each morning wondering what tragedy had unfolded overnight while he slept.
Terrorist attacks, refugee crises, natural disasters, racism, homophobia, pretty much everything Donald Trump does — it seemed like something terrible was happening on a daily basis.
In the face of all the turmoil plaguing the planet, Foster figured people needed some more positivity in their lives and was determined to “make something that was joyful and unifying” for his band’s third album,
“I had to ask myself the question ‘What type of artist am I supposed to function as right now in society?’,’’ Foster said.
“I think on this record I wanted to be more nurturing and really try to give people a place to escape to, where they’re not being confronted by all the sludge that we’ve all been living in for the past two years.
“I felt like more of a warrior. I wanted to slap people around and wake people up, because I felt like people were pretty apathetic.
“Art can sometimes serve as a sword — [like] Woody Guthrie protest songs. Bob Dylan took the torch from him and carried it on, and Billie Holiday’s
became such a staple of the civil rights movement.
“Sometimes you need to bring a sword, but I think in these times it’s important for us to truly try to unite people.
“There’s some of that on the record, but there’s a lot of that in what we’ve been doing live — speaking about these things, issues that are bigger than politics. Not divisive issues that become conservative or liberal, but issues that are larger than that, like race and combating the spirit of nationalism.
“[We’re] speaking to the fact that our differences as humans are what makes life interesting, and that love is bigger than politics.”
Foster has enjoyed an ever-increasing platform to spread his message since forming Foster the People in Los Angeles in 2009, after spending several years struggling to make ends meet, working colours than we have in the past,” he said.
“But also feels like glue between and — in terms of our set-list and the flow of the show, it has added a lot.
“was such a joyful record — a pop record, more or less — and then
was really introspective, more rock and more down-tempo. Touring those two records back-to-back was really tough because the moods were just so different.
“Adding [ into the mix, it feels like a full meal now.”
Foster the People’s Tasmanian fans can get a taste this weekend, when the band makes its Falls Festival debut. And Foster certainly sounds like he’s looking forward to it.
“I’m excited to come there, man,” he said.
“I’ll be able to escape the threat of North Korea and step outside of the race wars and mass murders that have been happening here.
“It’ll be great. I can hang out on the beach with you guys.”
Foster the People play on Marion Bay’s Valley Stage from 7.30pm on Saturday. Tickets are still available from www.fallsfestival.com