Originally named after "Town Leader" Mark Foster - Foster & The People, repeatedly butchered by their circle of friends... and as a result, re-christened Foster The People. Yeah, the name stuck... as the associated "Take care of the people"/"Do it for the people" type of vibe was met with strong embrace.
At its core, Foster The People is essentially Mark Foster (vocals, keyboard/guitar), Cubbie Fink (bass, backing vocals), and Mark Pontius (drums). Additional live musicians include Sean Cimino (guitar, keyboard/synthesizer) and Isom Innis (piano/keyboard); Both members also lend backing vocals for added flourishes, and played small roles in the making of The People's record.
That album - Torches, was just released a mere 4 days ago by way of Columbia (Startime International). Said collection was preceded by a self-titled EP, which featured 3 of the [eventual] album's 10 tracks. "Pumped Up Kicks," the warm, Poppy lead single... Has been steadily gaining steam since its Feb. 2010 YouTube premier.