Cults' twinkling experimental pop arrived in a shroud of mystery early in 2010, when the group posted three songs on its Bandcamp page. One of those songs was "Go Outside," which mixed dream pop haze with girl group harmonies (and, fittingly, samples of Jonestown leader Jim Jones) and earned the band acclaim from publications including Pitchfork and NME. Eventually, Cults' core duo was revealed as guitarist Brian Oblivion and vocalist Madeline Follin, who were also a couple. Later in 2010, Cults released Go Outside as a single on Forest Family Records and performed shows with bands including Best Coast. Early in 2011, the group made its U.K. debut and signed to Columbia Records; Cults' self-titled album, which featured production by Shane Stoneback, arrived in the middle of that year. Their sunny pop tunes were well received by critics and fans alike and they went on to tour heavily across America and Europe. The duo ended their relationship in the wake of their debut, yet continued to progress with the band. Together they wrote material during 2012 for their second album, which focused on their split and the pressures of growing up. The result was their sophomore record, Static, which arrived in October 2013.

Heather Phares
AllMusic.com