Hey, everyone
When multi-instrumentalist Isom Innis joined Foster The People in 2010, not only did he meet his bff and lead guitarist Sean Cimino, but he also linked up with guitarist and vocalist Mark Foster to create their own musical project, Smims and Belle. Of course, Innis is no stranger to working in duos from his previous bands Southern Belle, Matt & Isom, and his current side quest, Peel. Now, as of May 31, 2024, Foster The People have evolved into another duo for the “Paradise State Of Mind” album cycle. This is the new and improved Foster The People of 2024.
The duo have worked in tandem to remix songs like Lana Del Rey's “Blue Jean's (Smims & Belle Remix)” which is the third single from her second studio 2012 album “Born To Die”. When “Supermodel” dropped in 2014, the duo were at it again with a remix of “Best Friend”, which is also the third single from the band's second studio album, released on March 10, 2014. By August of that year, the boys held a contest on Facebook to see who could remix “Best Friend”, and announced the winners in a post.
It seems as if Isom was born to collaborate alongside Sean and Mark in and out of Foster The People. The boys, Foster and Innis, work so well together they even have a Smims Coffee and Tea Music Publishing website offering permission to use or cover any song by the duo. On the site, you can search pricing and search through various services concerning everything to do with Smims Coffee and Tea. A true partner in crime!
On October 2, 2017, the Gaston Gazette published an article discussing Innis joining the fold as a permanent member, alongside Cimino, after bass player Cubbie Fink left the group in 2015. In the interview he shares how long he's been working with Foster as well as dilly dallying on various other projects with different artists.
“I've been collaborating with Mark Foster, writing and producing for other artists, since 2012,” Innis says. “This is the first record we set out, from the beginning, to co-produce and co-write together.”
It's a no-brainer that Innis and Foster would team up, this time as a duo, for FTP's next effort following “Sacred Hearts Club” in 2017. Already two singles have dropped and two videos have premiered via YouTube. Now with one member short, I'm curious how they're going to pull off a live show, let alone a whole tour. Although Sean is still around, will they bring him back to play gigs? Are they enlisting new touring musicians? I don't know what's going on!
I think it makes sense that Foster The People is now Isom Innis and Mark Foster since they're the hard working members of the group. I find this all very exciting, and I can't wait for more.