Marcus Foster

Born and raised in southwest London, from a very early age Marcus Foster began to explore and appreciate a wide range of musical genres. Fosters childhood and teenage years might seem to offer a few clues as to the wide source of narratives that converge in his music. His poignant voice and the litany of his biographical landmarks are all combined with a salient feature of his personality; namely, a passionate curiosity for what creativity can conjure in terms of music, art and storytelling.

Music and art served not only as a refuge from the everyday, but as interlocutors that would help him to find his own voice and self expression. This is why throughout his songs there is a broad spectrum of echoes and reference to artists as diverse as Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, DAngelo, Tom Waits, Prince, Otis Reading, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and, more recently, St. Vincent.

At first sight it might seem counterintuitive to try to render a coherent whole out of such a diverse array of influences. Yet a key drive behind Marcus work is a desire, not only to avoid the comfort zone of recreating old sounds, but to challenge himself in such a way that he can produce music and stories that, whilst in debt to the past, have been yet unheard.

It is this creative disquiet that led him to juggle songwriting with his six year long immersion in Fine Art studies. Marcus specialized in sculpture at Chelsea College of Art and completed an MA in 2008 at the Royal College of Art, whilst moonlighting as a singer in bars and clubs across London. It was at the end of his studies for his MA at the Royal College of Art that Charles Saatchi discovered his work, and promptly snapped up one of his creations. Saatchi was not the only one who liked what he saw: his work was subsequently exhibited in Italy and Greece.

After contributing one song to the first Twilight soundtrack in 2008, his popularity with audiences in the U.S. and Europe developed exponentially, which helped to vindicate his commitment to his craft. By the middle of 2010, Foster had already racked up over a million hits on his MySpace page, while his Twitter account was followed in the tens of thousands. As a testament to his constantly growing demand in the in the U.S., Foster was recently invited to perform on the Jimmy Fallon Show performing with The Roots.

Whats more, not only has he had multiple tours on both sides of the Atlantic with great success, but he has combined his time on the road with consistent work at the studio. In fact, it is in the interaction with his audiences that he has found a reminder of musics prime value and a meeting ground where the unexpected takes place. This creative collaboration has left clear marks on his subsequent recordings. Following his first EP Tumble Down, Foster released his critically acclaimed debut album, titled Nameless Path in 2011, which was produced by Ian Grimble (Communion). His music has a timeless quality which, once appreciated, remains in the mind.

For 2012, Foster is about to release a new EP 'The Last House'. The Last House is a concise and exciting journey. Recorded in a barn in Sussex, England, it is his most diverse release to date. In addition to a further series of European tours, he will soon be opening for Michael Kiwanuka in the U.S, whilst completing songs for his second album.

Those who proclaim the virtues of "real music" will be raising their tankards and flagons to Marcus Foster Guardian

Marcus Foster is an island of real talent in the sea of musical mediocrity The 405 - '9/10 album review'

An excellent debut from a highly promising singer-songwriter DIY Magazine - '8/10 album review'

If his path is well-trodden, he swaggers along it in style NME