Cults

Biography

Cults is an American indie pop band formed in New York City in 2010, comprising multi-instrumentalists Madeline Follin (born 1988) and Brian Oblivion (born 1989). The band first rose to prominence after the release of their debut extended play, Cults 7" (2010), which was released on their Bandcamp page. They signed with English singer Lily Allen's record label In the Name Of, an imprint of Sony Music, to release their eponymous debut studio album (2011). Their song "Bad Things" was sampled by American rapper J. Cole for his 2013 single "She Knows", on which they were credited as featured artists.
The band has since released another four albums: Static×Static11 October 2013 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1I Know1:422I Can Hardly Make You Mine3:313Always Forever3:444High Road4:295Were Before3:016So Far3:297Keep Your Head Up3:388TV Dream1:039We've Got It3:2610Shine a Light3:1411No Hope3:44 (2013), Offering×Offering6 October 2017 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Offering4:162I Took Your Picture3:223With My Eyes Closed3:454Recovery4:165Right Words3:106Good Religion4:037Natural State3:528Nothing Is Written3:409Talk in Circles3:5610Clear From Far Away3:4911Gilded Lily3:33 (2017), Host (2020) and To the Ghosts×To the Ghosts26 July 2024 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Crybaby2:552Left My Keys3:173Onions4:104Crystal2:345Leave Home3:006Eat It Cold4:207Honey4:108Knots2:539Behave2:4310Open Water3:2111Cells1:4512You’re in Love With Yourself4:1313Hung the Moon5:29 (2024), as well as an EP, Motels×Motels7 September 2018 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Total Control3:592Atomic Cafe5:043Celia3:51 (2018).

History

Cults was formed in 2010 while guitarist Brian Oblivion and singer Madeline Follin, both from San Diego, were students in New York City. Oblivion went to New York University to study documentary cinema, while Follin went to The New School. Follin had previously recorded with punk band Youth Gone Mad on the album Touching Cloth. The name Cults was inspired by the Heaven's Gate cult from San Diego, California, where Follin and Oblivion grew up.
Cults released an EP on Forrest Family Records, Cults 7"×Cults 7"February 2010 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracks1Go Outside3:212Most Wanted2:583The Curse2:24, with the track "Go Outside×Go OutsideNovember 2010 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAGo Outside3:21BMost Wanted2:58" recorded by Paul Kostabi at Thunderdome Studios, and the album earned the title of "Best New Music" by Pitchfork. They toured supporting The Richie Follin's Band with overlapping members for six months before signing to ITNO/Sony. Their song "Go Outside" had a music video which starred Emma Roberts and Dave Franco. Another music video for the song featured the band intercut with footage of Jim Jones and Jonestown.

Their eponymous debut studio album was released on June 7, 2011, by Columbia Records' imprint In the Name Of run by Lily Allen. The album received generally positive reviews, and a second "Best New Music" from Pitchfork was earned for the track "Abducted×Abducted15 April 2011 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksAAbducted2:55BGo Outside (The 2 Bears remix)5:50". The same year, Cults collaborated with the group Superhuman Happiness on a version of the track "Um Canto De Afoxé para o Bloco Do Ilê" for the Red Hot Organization's most recent charity album Red Hot+Rio 2. The album is a follow-up to the 1996 Red Hot + Rio. Proceeds from sales were donated toward causes raising awareness of AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues. The band was chosen to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties I'll Be Your Mirror festival curated by ATP and Portishead in September 2011 in Asbury Park, New Jersey. They were also chosen by Battles to perform at the ATP Nightmare Before Christmas festival that they co-curated in December 2011 in Minehead, England. In early 2012, Cults played the Australasian music festival Laneways. In an interview with 3news, they said people could expect a more "aggressive sound" with a lot of changes being made to songs as a five-piece band. In an interview with the magazine Coup De Main, Follin was quoted saying that "You Know What I Mean×You Know What I Mean25 March 2011 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 trackAYou Know What I Mean2:33" was her favorite song on their self-titled debut album.
In 2013, they were featured alongside Amber Coffman on J. Cole's Born Sinner album which peaked at number one on the Billboard 200. The song later peaked at number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100. On October 15, 2013, the band released their second album, Static×Static11 October 2013 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1I Know1:422I Can Hardly Make You Mine3:313Always Forever3:444High Road4:295Were Before3:016So Far3:297Keep Your Head Up3:388TV Dream1:039We've Got It3:2610Shine a Light3:1411No Hope3:44, in the aftermath of the duo's breakup, to generally favorable reviews. Cults supported both Pixies and Vampire Weekend on their respective North American tours in 2014.
In 2016, Follin collaborated with her brother Richie James Follin of rock band Guards on a side project called Follin. Their self-titled EP was released on April 15, 2016, which contains the songs "Memories" and "Roxy".
On October 6, 2017, the band released their third album, Offering×Offering6 October 2017 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Offering4:162I Took Your Picture3:223With My Eyes Closed3:454Recovery4:165Right Words3:106Good Religion4:037Natural State3:528Nothing Is Written3:409Talk in Circles3:5610Clear From Far Away3:4911Gilded Lily3:33. Their song "Gilded Lily×Gilded Lily22 February 2024 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Gilded Lily3:332Gilded Lily - El Michels Affair Remix3:393Gilded Lily - Hardaway and Madeline Follin Remix3:344Gilded Lily - Sped Up3:135Gilded Lily - Slowed + Reverb4:19", although not selected as a single for the album, became a huge success on social media platform TikTok in 2022.
On September 18, 2020, the band released their fourth album, Host. On August 17, 2021, their single "Always Forever×Always Forever15 September 2023 · EPSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1Always Forever3:442Always Forever (Demo)1:503Always Forever (Sped Up)3:114Always Forever (Slowed and Reverbed)4:18" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and later was certified platinum on July 18, 2022. Their fifth album To the Ghosts×To the Ghosts26 July 2024 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracks1Crybaby2:552Left My Keys3:173Onions4:104Crystal2:345Leave Home3:006Eat It Cold4:207Honey4:108Knots2:539Behave2:4310Open Water3:2111Cells1:4512You’re in Love With Yourself4:1313Hung the Moon5:29 was released on July 26, 2024. The deluxe edition came out a year later, on September 12, 2025, and contains four new songs : "Mark My Words", "Compaction", "Noises They Make" and "Tiffany".

Band members

Brian Oblivion (Ryan Michael Mattos) – vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass guitar, percussion, production
Madeline Follin McKenna – vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass guitar, drums, percussion, production

Current touring members

John Eatherly – drums
Max Kamins – bass guitar
Cory Stier – drums
Marc Deriso – drums
Loren Humphrey – drums

Former touring members

Nathan Aguilar – bass guitar
Richie Follin – guitars
Gabriel Rodriguez – guitars

Berlin Music Video Awards

The Berlin Music Video Awards is an international festival that promotes music videos.