Alternative Post-Punk Band Ist Ist Announce Bristol show following new album release
Posted on: 30 Mar 2026IST IST have released tour dates following keenly anticipated new album: ‘DAGGER’.
Released Friday 6th February, the record marks their fifth full-length studio album, and arrives on the heels of last year’s acclaimed Top 30 effort ‘Light A Bigger Fire’. The Alternative Post-Punk phenomenon will be appearing at Thekla next month on Friday 24th April. The band have become known for their powerful, atmospheric live performances featuring melodic and dark sounds that leave a lasting impression on their audiences.
Released Friday 6th February, their latest record "Dagger" marks their fifth full-length studio album, and arrives on the heels of last year’s acclaimed Top 30 effort ‘Light A Bigger Fire’.
With a swelling fanbase across Europe and some of their biggest UK shows to date on the horizon, including a totemic hometown show at Manchester’s Albert Hall, the hungry, anthemic quality of ‘DAGGER’ feels destined to cut through even the most capacious of spaces.
Tickets Available HERE
Wasting no time to sit on their laurels
IST IST launched into laying down the bones of what would become their upcoming fifth album. As guitarist Mat Peters reflects:
“We started working on the album as soon as we got back from the European tour in late 2024. The momentum you carry from a tour into the studio is powerful and you’re still in that live headspace, so the music you write in those moments tends to be more visceral. You go with the flow a little bit more rather than it being methodical. What you end up with is a collection of songs already primed for the stage.”
Alive with ambitions for the band’s next evolutionary stage, IST IST approached esteemed producer Joe Cross (Hurts, Courteeners, Slow Readers Club), tasking him with creating a conduit with which to conduct their big ideas. Rekindling the chemistry that had spawned their previous work together, pretty soon, something special began to materialise from the partnership again. Bass player Andy Keating adds:
“We wanted to make some braver and more brash choices during the recording process. We wanted to make this record for ourselves first and foremost. There was no agenda beyond capturing the post-tour energy and playing the sort of things we wanted to listen to. The result of that is our most direct album since our debut ‘Architecture’.
While DAGGER marks a major leap forward for the band in confidence, precision, and delivery, it hasn’t come at the expense of their core approach. Fully self-funded and set for independent release on their own Kind Violence Records label, the album—now their fifth—stands as a testament to the determined DIY spirit that has defined IST IST from the very beginning.
Of the album’s title, Adam Houghton of the band said:
"The album title 'DAGGER' relates to the duality of life and our lives as musicians. A dagger is a double-edged blade, as is life. There is a lot of beauty and romance in the world but it's also full of danger and violence. Our lives as musicians and artists is at times so rewarding but we walk the tightrope of being able to release our art into the world and it potentially coming crashing down the next day if freedom of expression is curtailed, as it is in lots of places, or if people just don't like your latest output. One day we could be touring and taking our music all over the world and the next we could be looking for a job. We wanted the artwork to encapsulate this paradox - something elegant and eye-catching whilst inherently dangerous and provocative.
Tickets Available HERE
Article by:
Born and raised in rural Somerset but now making the most of all Bristol has to offer. Alex has a keen interest in Bristol’s music scene, spending a lot of time attending or working gigs, festivals and electronic dance music events. Other passions include Sport, DJing and running club nights.
