Ist (styled as ist) were an English rock music group based in

Leicester Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city l ...

, England. Their name is meant to denote a lack of prejudice. They are broadly speaking, a pop/rock group, but with a penchant for genre-jumping that has seen ska, jazz, blues and classical influences find their way on to their albums.

History

Ist was formed in March 2001, the original line-up consisting of Canadian singer/songwriter Kenton Hall, lead guitarist/songwriter Jack Bomb, bassist Detroit Robbins and drummer Mark "Flash" Haynes. The original line-up toured extensively throughout the UK following the releases of ''The Adult Tree'' EP in 2001 and the album '' Freudian Corduroy'' in 2003. The year 2004 saw setbacks for Ist. Lead guitarist and contributing lyricist Jack Bomb left the band to form Vitriol I.D. in August, and in October bassist Detroit Robbins died. The remaining members chose to move forward adding bassist John McCourt. In September 2005, Brett Richardson (guitars and

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

) joined ist, following guest appearances on their second album. Ist's second album, '' King Martha'', was released in August 2005. It features Kenton Hall, Mark "Flash" Haynes, John McCourt, with Brett Richardson and Paul Swannell, as well as a group of contributing artists including Kevin Hewick, The Have Nots, The Swinging Laurels, and former member Jack Bomb. The album features a wide array of horns, as well as string sections and a bassoon in addition to traditional rock instruments such as guitar, bass and drums. In 2006, Ist released the single "The Wreck of the Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am Jesus (And You're Not)" in direct response to a conversation with performer, songwriter and presenter

Tom Robinson Thomas Giles Robinson (born 1 June 1950) is a British singer, bassist, radio presenter and long-time LGBT rights activist, best known for the hits "Glad to Be Gay", "2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robinson ...

. In 2008, Kenton Hall from Ist was one of the co-writers of

Chris Difford Christopher Henry Difford (born 4 November 1954) is an English singer, musician, songwriter and record producer. He is a founding member and songwriter of the rock group Squeeze. Musical career Born in Greenwich, London, Difford has written l ...

's Christmas single for

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, "Let's Not Fight This Christmas". Songs co-written by Hall have also appeared on releases from other artists, including the song "Grace" on Madelaine Hart's "LAA" EP, released on the

Creative Commons Creative Commons (CC) is an American non-profit organization and international network devoted to educational access and expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has release ...

label modifythevan. He is currently working on songs with a number of other artists, including

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. In August 2009, Ist released ''

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'', produced by Jay "Burzootie" Burnett. The Swinging Laurels, (Gaz Birtles, John Barrow and Dean Sargent) once again provided brass, along with Jay Lyndsay, and they were also joined by renowned pedal steel player Melvin Duffy and vocalist Dorie Jackson, amongst others. In October 2010, Ist played one final gig, their Obistuary, at The Musician, in their native Leicester. They were supported by the musical comedian,

Boothby Graffoe Boothby Graffoe is a village and civil parish in the North Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England. The population of the civil parish at the 2011 census was 223. It is situated approximately south from the city and county town of Lincoln, ...

. In 2011, Kenton Hall embarked on a solo career and has taken to the stage as an actor. John McCourt was playing for the Pink Box outfit, Mr Plow, and recording solo material. Flash had formed the Beatles tribute act Hamburg62, and continues to work with Kevin Hewick. Brett Richardson ventured deeper into his studio recording, mixing and mastering for a real mix of artists.

Public response

Ist have received a positive reaction from independent media.Album Reviews – Ist: King Martha
. Left Off The Dial.Manchester Music – Release Review From the Archive
Music-dash.co.uk (16 January 2006).Home – The Mag – New Music Uncovered
The Mag (6 February 2012). In 2006 songwriter Kenton Hall received a nomination for MOJO Magazine/Bavaria's Music of Substance Award, alongside fellow Leicester songwriter, Kevin Hewick The group's sound has been compared to artists such as

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

, Squeeze,

Nick Cave Nicholas Edward Cave (born 22 September 1957) is an Australian singer, songwriter, poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, composer and occasional actor. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Ca ...

The E Street Band The E Street Band is an American rock band, and has been musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014. For the bulk of Springsteen's recording and performing caree ...

Ray Davies Sir Raymond Douglas Davies ( ; born 21 June 1944) is an English musician. He was the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter for the rock band the Kinks, which he led with his younger brother Dave on lead guitar and backing voc ...

, Television and

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

. Fans include the novelist

Neil Gaiman Neil Richard MacKinnon GaimanBorn as Neil Richard Gaiman, with "MacKinnon" added on the occasion of his marriage to Amanda Palmer. ; ( Neil Richard Gaiman; born 10 November 1960) is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, gr ...

.Neil Gaiman's Journal: "any stick to beat a dog with..."
Neilgaiman.com (12 August 2005). Ist have received positive response in Russian where the album '' King Martha'' reached no. 1 on the Russian legal music download site yanga.ru in June 2006, with debut album '' Freudian Corduroy'' occupying the number two spot.

Discography

*2001 ''The Adult Tree'' EP (Pink Box Records) *2003 '' Freudian Corduroy'' (Pink Box Records/The Orchard) *2005 '' King Martha'' (Pink Box Records/The Orchard) *2006 ''The Wreck of the Eddie Fitzpatrick/I am Jesus (And You're Not)'' (Pink Box Records) *2009 ''

References

External links

Official websiteMyspace profileFlash's drum school website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ist English rock music groups Musical groups from Leicester