Who you should be listening to: Ist Ist

Introducing our shiny new and hopefully pretty regular feature. Every few weeks, we’ll be picking out a musical artist based in or around Manchester, writing a few words about them and hopefully doing them enough justice that you go ahead and give them a listen.

First up, we’re putting the spotlight on Ist Ist, a band I’ve been a massive fan of since seeing them in a support slot at Night & Day many moons ago, and one that still stands out as one of the city’s most unique and exciting ‘newer’ acts.

Big, brash and in-your-face, while at the same time gorgeously melodic, Ist Ist intertwine ferocious post-punk guitars and crashing symbols with melancholy, intense vocals that are at times unnerving, and always completely engrossing.

For a while, it was the group’s reputation as a fearsome live act which accounted for a big chunk of their popularity. Now, though, there’s a seriously impressive back catalogue, including five studio albums that document a group whose sound has continuously evolved, to back up that stellar reputation.

Over the last couple of years, in particular, it feels like the group has started to properly get the flowers that they deserve, headlining venues like the iconic Paradiso in the Netherlands, along with a massive homecoming gig at New Century. This spring, the lads are set for another significant milestone, with a headline show at the Albert Hall on Fri 1 May.

Give them a listen below, and head over to their website here, and book tickets to their Albert Hall gig here.

For fans of: Joy Division. Editors. The Slow Readers Club. Radiohead. Depeche Mode. Chalk. The Horrors.