After Foster's song "Pumped Up Kicks" became a viral success in 2010, the group received a record deal from Startime International and gained a fanbase through small club shows and appearances at music festivals.

After releasing their debut album Torches in May 2011, "Pumped Up Kicks" became a crossover hit on commercial radio in mid-2011 and eventually reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100.

In July 2017, the band released their third studio album, Sacred Hearts Club, with the addition of Isom Innis and Sean Cimino, both former touring members, to the official lineup.

The group soon added a bassist, Foster's long-time friend Cubbie Fink, who had lost his job at a television production company during the recession.

[23] Not long after the group formed, Foster wrote and recorded a song at Mophonics called "Pumped Up Kicks", which eventually proved to be the band's breakthrough.

After Foster posted the song on his website as a free download in early 2010, it drew considerable attention; Nylon magazine used the track in an online advertising campaign,[24] and through various blogs, it went viral.

Kredel and Brett Williams were subsequently hired to co-manage Foster the People, and they arranged meetings for the band with several record labels, including Warner Bros., Atlantic, Columbia, and Universal Republic.

[24] After Foster the People signed their record deal and to avoid burnout, Startime allowed the group to pace themselves and not rush an album that would cash in on the popularity of the song.

From July to September 2010, the group wrote new material that would appear on their debut album, and they chose Paul Epworth, Rich Costey, and Greg Kurstin to co-produce the record with Mark Foster.

[24] Foster the People issued its first commercial non-single release in January 2011, a self-titled EP featuring "Pumped Up Kicks", "Houdini", and "Helena Beat" that was intended to hold fans over until their first studio album, Torches, was completed.

The EP drew the attention of organizers of March's South by Southwest festival, as well as executives looking to license music for upcoming season finales of television series.

Columbia senior director of creative licensing Jonathan Palmer said, "The plan helped us a great deal to set up more opportunities rather than chasing the release date.

[30][31] Mark Foster credits Sirius XM's airplay with the song's success, saying, "Alt Nation played our music before any other radio outlet in the country.

According to Leipsner, "After we showed our presentation, we had so many Clear Channel major-market programmers come up to us and say, 'The record I want to play besides Adele is Foster the People.'"

[citation needed] Foster the People appeared as the musical guest on the October 8, 2011, episode of Saturday Night Live, playing "Pumped Up Kicks" and "Houdini".

[34][35] At the end of the year, the group received two Grammy Award nominations: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Pumped Up Kicks" and Best Alternative Music Album for Torches.

[39] Mark Foster and unofficial bandmate Isom Innis debuted their electronic music side project, Smims & Belle, at Hard Summer in August 2012.

Smims & Belle released an official remix of Lana Del Rey's "Blue Jeans", featuring a bespoke rap verse from Azealia Banks.

In this year, during June, the band played at the Firefly Music Festival—as well as at a secret show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, performing four new songs: "A Beginner's Guide To Destroying The Moon", "Pseudologia Fantastica", "Fire Escape", and "Coming of Age".

The band promoted "Coming of Age" by releasing a time-lapse music video of a seven-story mural of the Supermodel album cover being painted in downtown Los Angeles.

[50] Although Young and Sick designed the mural, the actual painting was done by artists LeBA and Vyal under the guidance of Danial Lahoda, the owner and director of LALAarts.

[59] On October 9, 2016, Foster the People played at the Rocking the Daisies Music Festival, performing three new songs from their upcoming third studio album: "Lotus Eater", "Doing It For The Money", and "Pay the Man".

On April 27, 2017, the band released an EP, III, composed of three songs from their upcoming third studio album ("Pay the Man", "Doing It for the Money", and "SHC").

Band member and drummer Mark Pontius revealed on the first episode of his podcast that the group had split from Columbia Records and are currently operating independently.

There's a fluidity with streaming that's really powerful: to be able to go direct to a fan, to cut out the middle man, to not worry about having hard sales, making CDs, and getting them on the shelves in stores.

[72] Band member and drummer Mark Pontius revealed on the first episode of his podcast that the group has split from Columbia Records and are currently operating independently.

[68] On July 9, 2020, the group released a seventh single called "The Things We Do," which focuses on police violence and racial inequality in the United States.

All proceeds of the song will be donated to four charities: 25% is going to Black Lives Matter International, 25% to The Bail Project, 25% to Rebuild Foundation, and 25% to The Underground Museum.

The tracklist included the three pre-released singles; "Lamb's Wool", "The Things We Do", and "Under the Moon", along with the recently debuted "Cadillac", and two new songs: "Walk With a Big Stick" and "Your Heart Is My Home".

Mark Foster confirmed the departure of Sean Cimino from the band,[79] but stated he had contributed guitar and modular to several tracks on the new record.