I've covered a couple of blogs to do with the impact of music and film. However, I've not spoke about myself and music. Really, it's about anything for me. Anything that I like the sound of, regardless of genre. To be quite honest, a lot of the music I really do like stems from movies I watch, and as you can imagine there is a lot of different types that come from them. And whilst I teeter to adoring bands such as Queen, the Kaiser Chiefs and the Wombats for example from a young age, there has been no band, no sort of music that has had an impact on my life than the band Foster The People. In order for people to get to know me on this blog I felt it wouldn't be a bad idea to let people in on my story about these guys.

So it was about 2011 when I heard the very famous 'Pumped Up Kicks' on the radio whilst I was on a family holiday in Italy. I told my dad I liked the song, and my dad told me who it was and what the song was. That song quickly became a summer hit, although I don't remember it being played much when I returned from holiday, except when I got hold of a computer and listened to it on repeat. Me and my dad obsessed over the song for ages, then I remember that he showed me the song way before we went to Italy, and I said I didn't mind it. As usual I have to hear the song more than once to really gain appreciation, and 'Pumped Up Kicks' became my favourite song. I became more and more intrigued about the band, and wanted to hear more. Naturally, I clicked on some of their other music videos in the suggestions bar to hear what else they had to offer. I was astounded. 

'Call It What You Want,' 'Helena Beat' and 'Houdini' became even more popular for me than 'Pumped Up Kicks.' I had these three other singles on repeat all the time, and that Christmas, I received my favourite album ever, Torches. As well as those four singles, the rest of the album was electrifying. There will always be one song on any album from any band I don't like. With Torches, this wasn't the case. From 'Don't Stop (Colour on the Walls)' to 'Miss You' I was hooked, and for my then coming birthday my parents got me tickets for me and my dad to go see Foster in Manchester. Probably one of the best gifts I've ever received, and the best part was it was my first gig. I remember being stood at the back with my dad among a huge crowd of young people, and I enjoyed every single minute of it. Seeing Mark Foster, Mark Pontius, Cubbie Fink, Isom Innis and Sean Cimino up their in real life was a truly amazing honour, one that would intensify to just last week, but we'll get to that.

I got my first piece of band merch, a hoodie and from then on I was a super fan. I got my friends into them, so I wasn't alone to be all band crazy. It went quiet for a bit, and I worried they wouldn't be making another album. Lots of bands were pumping out albums as fast as ever, so I did get nervous. But in 2014, Foster released 'Coming Of Age' off of their second album, Supermodel. That single, for me, surpassed 'Pumped Up Kicks,' because that year I turned 18, and the song for me was about growing up and overcoming problems and bumping into new ones. That song, along with the rest of Supermodel got me out of a rough spot that year. They give off a lot of memories of negative things that were happening at the time, but at the same time, when I overcame said things, they had a greater meaning. They made me incredibly happy at the time and I remember going to see them again in Manchester with my friends that year for their Supermodel tour. It was amazing, we were so much closer to the stage than the Torches tour (as you can see in the above photo) and that year ended with happier memories because of them. 

Then, as 2017 came around the corner, I expected a new album, the same time as Supermodel, after it's three year gap between it and Torches. However, the wait got longer, and with Cubbie Fink leaving the band it got even more troubling in my head that this would be it for Foster. But, April 27th came and with that came their EP 'III' and then a tour announcement with of course, a new album announcement 'Sacred Hearts Club.' It was all too much for me to handle, and it was awesome. So just last week, I saw Foster for the third time in London, and then we attended a secret event right after on Oxford Street, where the band came and met with their fans. I got some snaps with each of the members, and it was an absolute pleasure to meet them. Mark Foster said I had a nice shirt, and I told him he had a nice hat (above) and it just felt great to meet them in the flesh, for them to know how happy their music made me. 

And now, as Sacred Hearts Club releases today, I have to look back on a band who defines my life massively. They've got me through some tough times and made great times even greater. I can't thank them enough for that. As well as a nice follow from them on Twitter, I have no greater honour than to tell them, if they ever read this, thanks guys. Thanks for being such a huge source of inspiration and giving me the power to write and make movies, as there's nothing better to listen to than doing your favourite thing whilst listening to your favourite thing. There is no song that is remotely just 'ok' that you've done. They are all individually a masterpiece in their own ways and they deserve so much more attention. I hope to meet you all again someday and I wish you all the best of luck with the new album. I have to thank my dad in particular though. Without him, I wouldn't have recognised that song in Italy and I wouldn't be writing this blog. 

If you thought filmmakers were my biggest inspiration, you were wrong. Foster The People are, and always will be.