Cults is an indie pop duo based in New York City, consisting of Madeline Follin (vocals) and Brian Oblivion (guitar and vocals). The film-students-turned-musicians from San Diego create a nostalgic buzz with their 1960s-sounding tunes about love and loneliness. At the age of twelve, Madeline Follin was offered a record deal with Recess Records after hanging out in the studio with her stepfather, Paul Kostabi’s band Youth Gone Mad. However, her parents declined. Oblivion and Follin originally formed The Cults as an outlet for their music experiment and a fortnight after posting their electro-pop breakout tune, “Go Outside”, to their bandcamp.com site, the song landed on Pitchfork, and the duo received emails from interested record labels. The band signed to ITNO/Columbia and Forest Family Records in 2010 and have been parlaying a momentum from successful appearances at South by Southwest and FYF Festivals 2010, in support of their self-titled debut album released in May 2011. The duo are best known for their debut single “Go Outside”, which was named Best New Music by Pitchfork. According to Pitchfork, ” ‘Go Outside’ has the innocent and balmy feel that brings to mind Swedish indie pop, with a tinkling glockenspiel cutting through humidity, an appealingly lazy bass line, and joyous sing-along vocals.’ They are currently getting ready to tour with Foster the People.

Career Highlights

Cults are Nylon Magazine's Band Crush

Cults are Paste Magazine's Best of What's Next

Cults interview on Dazed Digital

Cults interview and feature in Spin

Cults self-titled receives best new music on Pitchfork

Cults chart at 7 on NME's 50 Best New Bands of 2011

Cults featured in SPIN's 24 Summer Albums That Matter Most