IST IST’s rise has been steady, self‑driven and unmistakably theirs. Two months after releasing their fifth studio album Dagger — a record that topped the Independent Albums Chart and reached No.21 in the Official UK Album Chart — the Manchester band are fresh back from a European run of dates (supported by a slew of bands including KANADIA) and are busy getting match fit for their biggest UK tour yet.
I sat down with Mat Peters (keyboards and guitars) to talk about the album’s reception, the band’s evolving sound, and why Dagger represents a sharpened, more deliberate version of who IST IST have become.
How do you feel Dagger has been received by fans so far?
“It’s been received incredibly well,” Mat says, without hesitation. “What’s interesting is how much it seems to connect back to Architecture, our 2020 released debut. Being out in Europe for three weeks, you really start to see how people respond, what records they’re buying at the merch desk, what songs they’re shouting for.”
He describes Dagger as a record that “ties a lot of our discography together,” blending the aggression of their early work with the melodic confidence they’ve developed over the years. “It’s got the synths, the guitars, the big drums, the big bass, Adam’s voice, it feels like the best of everything we do.
Your 2024 European tour fed straight into writing Dagger. How did the live experience shape the studio process?
“The live show is naturally more rock’n’roll,” Mat explains. “More guitars, more interplay between the four of us. We wanted to bring some of that energy into the next record.”
But the shift wasn’t just about volume or tempo, it was also a reaction to their previous album, Light a Bigger Fire, their first with producer Joe Cross. “That album was a learning curve. We wanted something more commercial, more radio‑friendly. It did grow us, but it didn’t necessarily get the radio play we thought it might.”
Ironically, Dagger, the album they made for themselves, ended up receiving far more radio support. “Sometimes when you chase a specific outcome, you don’t get it. But you learn something else instead.”
What did Joe Cross bring to the album this time around?
Mat describes a producer who is both meticulous and deeply collaborative. “We give Joe our demos, all split out, and he starts reshaping things, chopping, restructuring, replacing parts, tightening melodies. There’s about four weeks of pre‑production before we even start recording.”
With Light a Bigger Fire, the band were still figuring out how to work with a producer. “We didn’t know what the relationship should look like. This time, we understood his instincts. We pre‑empted a lot of the changes he’d make, so the songs arrived in better shape.”
Still, some tracks were a battle. “Ambition was like pulling teeth. It took two hours just to realise it was too slow. Then we had to redo everything. But it became one of our favourites. That’s the process, you suffer through it, then suddenly it clicks.”
Andy mentioned wanting to make braver, more brash choices. Did you take any risks on Dagger?
“Definitely,” Mat says. “I Am the Fear is the clearest example. It was different from the outset, more industrial, more distorted, more Nine Inch Nails‑leaning. We just leaned into it.”
He says the band made a conscious decision not to second‑guess how fans might react. “You can’t worry about whether people think it’s too synthy or too dancey. If it excites us, the four of us plus Joe, then chances are it’ll excite everyone else.”
How important was the running order of the album?
“Hugely important,” Mat says. “We treat it like a setlist. Once we’ve got four or five songs we’re happy with, we start thinking about what the album still needs, not a formula, but a sense of balance.”
Vinyl thinking plays a big role. “We absolutely think in terms of Side A and Side B. That’s why Encouragement opens Side B, it’s a slow build, like an encore opener. You wouldn’t put it in the middle of Side A, the same way you wouldn’t drop it in the middle of a set.”
The artwork for Dagger is striking. Was there concern it might be interpreted as promoting knife crime or self‑harm?
The cover, a hand gently holding a floating dagger, was created in true IST IST fashion: DIY, resourceful, and rooted in their own world.
“Andy bought a real dagger online, a very sharp one, and we shot it in his living room with Nige, our tour photographer. The hand is Andy’s wife’s. The dagger was hanging from fishing wire.”
They did consider how it might be perceived. “We asked a lot of industry people — retail, streaming, label contacts, and everyone said it wasn’t an issue. And it’s a dagger, not a knife.”
For Mat, the symbolism is personal. “It’s being held gently, and it’s pointing back at the person holding it. To me, it’s about how you can mess everything up at any moment. And the double‑edged blade reflects the music, upbeat but dark, danceable but heavy.”
He even got a dagger tattooed on his arm the day after the album came out.
Tracks like I Am the Fear, Warning Signs and The Echo feel built for big rooms. Were you thinking about venues like Manchester’s Albert Hall while writing?
“A hundred percent,” Mat says. “You want songs big enough to fill the rooms you’re playing. The venues influence the songwriting, even subconsciously.”
He references David Byrne’s How Music Works, which explores how bands naturally evolve as their performance spaces grow. “It makes sense, the bigger the rooms, the more anthemic the music becomes. We’re not going to write an acoustic album right now. How would it fit in the set?”
You’ve called Dagger your most direct album since Architecture. What does ‘direct’ mean to you now?
“It’s black and white. It’s got bangers. It’s called Dagger,” he laughs.
But there’s more to it. “It’s about simplifying the image and the sound. There’s still texture, but the overall identity is clearer. Andy did a brilliant job with the artwork and packaging — it all feels cohesive. It looks like it sounds.”
IST IST remain fully independent. How does the DIY ethic shape your decisions and pressures?
“It gives us freedom, total control. But there’s pressure too, because there’s no safety net. Then again, there wouldn’t be with a label either.”
Mat has seen too many bands trapped in debt. “I’d rather be in control. But letting go of tasks is hard. We used to do everything ourselves, merch, logistics, distribution. Now we outsource some things, we have a tour manager. Ultimately, we want to be musicians, not full‑time admin staff.”
Would they ever sign? “Never say never, but it would have to be a really good deal.”
You’ve just finished a three week tour of Europe. How has the international energy fed into your creativity?
Europe has become a major part of IST IST’s story. “We’ve played a lot of 1,000‑cap venues in Germany and the Netherlands. That’s not the UK experience outside Manchester. It gives us financial stability and experience playing bigger rooms.”
The crowds vary dramatically. “Germans love the dark‑wave, four‑on‑the‑floor stuff. The Dutch are more reserved. Italians are completely different again. And the venues, especially in the Netherlands, are incredible. Small towns with 900‑cap rooms that put UK venues to shame.”
Which new songs are you most excited to unleash on the forthcoming UK tour?
“Encouragement is the big one. It was written to be a drawn‑out live moment. Burning too, it’s rockier and always lands well.”
The UK shows feel special. “Some fans have been with us since day one. Europe has grown fast in the last four years, but the UK is home. This is our biggest UK tour ever.”
Where does Dagger sit in the story of IST IST — and what comes next?
“It feels like the best of everything we’ve done. A cohesive record with a strong identity.”
As for album six? “We’ve got loads of songs parked in a folder. After tour we’ll start playing through ideas, see what sticks. We’re enjoying the Dagger phase, maybe we won’t rush the next one.”
Finally — Rich D (my Sonic Nomads sidekick) wants to know: what’s your favourite cheese?
Mat doesn’t miss a beat. “Creamy Blue, basically a mouldy brie with blue in the middle. On a cracker. With onion chutney. If that’s not available, brie and stilton together will do.”
I thanked Mat for sparing the time to chat, wished him all the best for the forthcoming UK tour which culminates in a show at Manchester’s Albert Hall and suggested he take a nice break once it comes to an end, put his feet up, reflect on the last couple of months and what they have achieved and how their music has helped to shape the listening habits of so many fans in the UK and beyond. We’ll be at the Exeter show on Saturday 11th April, I suggest you check the dates below and grab some tickets for the show nearest you as this is a chapter of IST IST’s career that you DON’T want to miss!
UK HEADLINE SHOWS
Norwich - Waterfront - 09.04.26
London - The Garage - 10.04.26
Exeter - Phoenix - 11.04.26
Oxford - O2 Academy 2 - 12.04.26
Newcastle - The Grove - 16.04.26
Glasgow - Oran Mor - 17.04.26
Sheffield - Network - 18.04.26
Nottingham - Rescue Rooms - 23.04.26
Bristol - Thekla - 24.04.26
Brighton - Quarters - 25.04.26
Dublin - The Grand Social - 28.04.26
Belfast - Ulster Sports Club - 29.04.26
Manchester - Albert Hall - 01.05.26
(w/ Support from DESPERATE JOURNALIST + THE YOUTH PLAY)
Tickets for all shows on sale HERE
Interview by Steve Muscutt