‘Megawatt’ by ISTA | Interview | New Album
While the vestiges of summer slowly simmer away, Brooklyn-based rockers ISTA have shown up fashionably-late to the beach party with a single and music video worthy of the wait, and perhaps one more rager.
Reincarnated from the ashes of their previous west coast project Ecstatic Union, Rex Costello and Oliver Hart have found a new beginning in the heart of New York City for the continuation of their psychedelic disco rock sound. Joining forces with producer Sam Cohen proved to be a pivotal development in this reimagined perspective, kindling the fire for their earlier sonic recipes so that they may cook to perfection. Rounding out the core cast are drummer Evan Eubanks, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Diona West, and bassist Theadora Curtis, though the electrifying live experience has a tendency to attract additional actors to their magnetic stage show.
Speaking of electricity, there is not a more apt title for this new single than ‘Megawatt.’ It’s a power plant of psychedelic garage rock energy engineered to power every house capable of receiving the signal – if you can hear it, you can feel it. All members are at their respective control centers diverting their current to their instruments efficiently, working together to fuel a song that boogies at peak groove levels. Hell, the song has such a high concentration of life-affirming vibes that even Diona’s unborn child appears on the track, interacting with their theremin in utero! Crunchy synths and angular guitar riffs collide with the doubled and harmonized vocals to create a mind-bending symphony while the rhythm section carries the track along the grid in synchronized bliss via frictionless fuzz bass and driving drums. There is no sophomore slump here; this is a second stride.
To attempt to match this frenetic tune, ISTA also hereby present an accompanying music video, filmed almost entirely on the spur of the moment after previous scripts had been trashed, showing us all that sometimes the best ideas are the ones that come to the unburdened mind. We follow a family’s summer reprieve turned hallucinogenic trip via the lens of a VHS camera one could probably find at just about any thrift store. Relaxing scenes by the pool turn into frenzied scenes of mania after our protagonist unearths a girthy quartz, perhaps the secret power source behind this group’s vitality, and combines it with your average everyday pool toys to embark on a journey only knowable by its participants. With plans to release a full length follow-up in the summer of 2025, why wait until then? Get your taste now! Are you ready to jump in?
“I just wanted to make a heavy tune that felt funky, powerful and bombastic.”
What’s the story behind the group’s name? Is it an acronym of sorts?
ISTA is an acronym for “In Sound To All”. I like the simplicity and sound of the word itself and that was the first acronym that came to my mind when I considered what the letters could stand for.
When starting work with producer Sam, what was the point where you realized there was a new direction available altogether for the band that would result in a name change?
Personally, I was unsettled with our previous band name (Ecstatic Union) for years. Though my heart wasn’t fully in it, I stuck with it out of a kind of arbitrary obligation to remain consistent with the first album under the same artist name, made back in 2012, which was essentially an entirely different project. In early 2019, we worked with Sam for the first time, recording two tracks, just before leaving on a US tour with Ecstatic Union. We felt like Sam up-leveled and augmented our process in the studio and overall sound in so many ways that it was natural to sense something new and more expansive than what we were previously doing was starting to come into being. I also knew that I didn’t want to be confined to the guitar once we were playing the new songs live and on top of that was envisioning a fresh line-up of musicians and instrumentation. By our second session with Sam, in the summer of the same year, we were already openly considering new names.
The new track sounds incredibly cohesive sonically-speaking. I particularly adore the choice of supplementing the bass line with the octave synth in the chorus. What was the inspiration for that and the track as a whole? The tones are all on-lock!
Thanks for the kind words. That sound in particular was made with the Moog Sub-37 which, since our first record, has become a staple work horse on most of our tracks in some shape or form. I just knew that I wanted the chorus to drop harder on the one beat than what the guitars alone were providing, and the trusty steed, with multidrive engaged and a 4 or 5 o-clock open filter, happened to do the trick in a way that felt great and also made us laugh a bit. In terms of the track as a whole, a funny thing is that the inspiration which formed the initial demo was based on a guitar riff that ultimately didn’t even end up making it into the song once we started working on it at Slow Fawn with Sam. The group decided to keep this one tight and save the other riff (that I originally crafted the tune around) for a future song. I just wanted to make a heavy tune that felt funky, powerful and bombastic. We (Evan, Oliver, Sam and I) trimmed the fat in my original demo and then added the post chorus, recorded live as a four piece, and overall the song came together pretty quick and with relative ease, overdubbing percussion, the synth on top and later Diona and I’s vocals as well as her theremin parts.
I understand most of the band is starting families of their own during this album-making process. How has parenthood shaped the direction of the band and its sound?
Organizing a 7 piece band (and any size band really) is already a juggling act in terms of scheduling and coordination, so adding children into that mix (3 of them in total between 4 of us in the group and all currently under three years old) obviously adds complexity into the equation. We’ve had to become a lot more strategic in regards to when and what shows we take on and it’s also emphasized the value of personal/creative time as a whole. It’s true what everyone says though, being a parent really is the most amazing experience. It’s quite challenging but also very rewarding. Though it’s seemingly intangible, I like to think that the love, positive feelings and growth from the granted through parenthood infuses itself into the music in some way. I remember, after a show we played in November of 2023, Diona and I’s first son was just about to turn one, while Theadora and Ryan were around 5 months pregnant with their first baby boy. A friend of ours and fellow musician (who has actually also recorded a record with Sam) exuberantly embraced us after our set, alight with joy smiling and exclaiming “Oh my god, that was amazing! You guys got that new parent energy. You’re glowing. Ahh, it’s contagious!”
What do you miss the most and least about California, and what do you enjoy the most and least about New York?
I personally, from being raised there, have a lot of close friends in California, so other than the diversity of nature, being close to my home island of Catalina and the pacific ocean, the friends are what I miss most. Not to mention Oliver himself (guitarist in ISTA) currently lives back in California. What I miss least about California and LA in particular is the music scene. It’s just boring and a little uptight compared to what goes on in NY. In general, I notice people seem to let loose easier at shows in New York, which is very refreshing. Diona and I moved from Brooklyn to New Jersey (where she’s originally from) around the time we became pregnant with our first little one so we’re seldom in New York anymore unless it’s for shows, projects or to work/run errands in the city. We do record with Sam in upstate NY every couple months but that’s obviously a whole different animal compared to NYC. Evan is still up there (in Brooklyn that is) with his wife, Theadora and Ryan live there with their son and Chloe is still based there as well but I wouldn’t be able to speak to their experience, especially since Thea is the only one out of them who has lived in California before as well. She does often mention the possibility of moving back though. These days what I enjoy most about New York is when we get to go up to play live. It’s such a fun and receptive scene and it’s always a great party. There’s a pulse to that place that is unlike any other. In terms of what I enjoy least about NYC, it’s too loud, concrete filled, traffic congested, energetically intense and relatively hostile for me to imagine enjoyably raising our family there.
ISTA Website / Instagram / Bandcamp
