Many of you may have heard of ist before, but we think they deserve an extra mention whilst we join them for the release of their latest album. Originally from Leicester, gaining a no.1 on the download charts in Russia and a Mojo nomination, the band have travelled from strength to strength. Their list of influences is certainly extensive, so they do love a spot of genre hopping! When asked to describe the band, Kenton, lead singer, said ‘Two Englishmen, a Scotsman and a Canadian walk into a room…’ which is a witty testament to their indistinguishable sound.

Their latest album is quintessentially ist, mixed with a developed outlook on life and lyrical advances to match. Although the album demonstrates dabbling within a variety of genres, the opening track, ‘The boy’s not right’ sets the mood for songs that follow. The emotion continues to grow throughout the album, each track becoming more powerful and displaying more musical talent and experimentation. Tracks such as ‘Would you buy a bible from this man?’ will lure you in with its smooth melody and weighty guitar solos, whereas listening to others like the funky ‘Remington Steele’ will prove hard not to tap your feet to at the very least!

If you’re anything like us, you’ll struggle to compare ist to any other band. It is possible to hear influences such as Elvis Costello and Stiff Little Fingers, but ist have their own unique quality, which is reflected in the music. They are excited about playing ‘a very special gig’ at the Musician, in Leicester, where the band first formed, so watch out for that one at the beginning of October! Toothpick Bridge certainly won’t disappoint you; it caters for every musical taste and mood and is possibly the best ist album yet!

You can catch ist on Spotify, iTunes, Myspace and Facebook, enjoy!

Words by Emily Parish
Emily is the one of the latest additions to Monograph towers. Having caught the attention of the mag when she single handedly started the campaign to get Beardyman to Leicester.
Read all articles by Emily Parish