INSOMNIA STANDARD TIME

Current Lineup:

Nick - Vocals/Guitar

Nik - Bass/Vocals

Jonah - Drums

Enter Insomnia Standard Time! Also known as I.S.T., going by the 80's hardcore tradition of endless three-letter acronyms.

Formed in December 2022, it was clear from the very beginning that these dudes were a force to be reckoned with! Not interested in doing things to look cool or follow the current digital, "look-at-me!" narcissistic trends; Ontario, Canada's I.S.T. started as a way to make the sort of music they wanted to hear. Instead of bitching at home endlessly about how current bands aren't the same as they used to be, they got off their asses and did something about it. Forming as a means to revive a style from a more organic era, when bands started cuz they just wanted to make music, before an imaginary number on a screen defined your whole worthless existance and before punk was co-opted by trendy dipshits with bad fashion sense trying to one up each other on how "alternative" they can be. Spending their first year hunkered down in the deep, dark depths of Joe's basement (their affectionately nicknamed rehearsal space), they developed their sound like a blacksmith sharpens a blade, building up their frantic arsenal with sweat, blood, tears and a passion for the music they were making (also maybe a little bit of gas due to their love of Mexican food). Writing both newer material and reviving over 10 years worth of songs from the ashes of past bands such as Preskool Dropouts and Idiot Box, I.S.T. found themselves usually landing somewhere between playing stupidly fast hardcore or channeling classic bubblegum melodies backed by heavy buzzsaw punk guitars. Taking influences from 70's and 80's punk with tinges of metal and 60's Beatlesque pop thrown here and there for good messure, while putting their own spin on things, I.S.T quickly found a sound that is sure to rattle your brain and get stuck in your head all at once. Don't start charging them rent, though, they're broke like most punk bands.

Proof of I.S.T.'s determination came in the form of Joe's Basement, their 10 song debut cassette. For most bands, unexpectedly losing their drummer at the last minute right before recording sessions usually means death. Good thing Something Else!? Records' flagship band aren't your ordinary bunch of dipshits (they're special dipshits). Even with their mysterious (and really creepy) drummer, only known as "Hands", leaving the band due to getting in some hot water involving his collection of human femurs, the ever resourceful I.S.T. soildered on. Already having some knowledge behind the kit, hopping between drums and guitars during early rehearals before they even auditioned "Hands", frontman Nick handled drum duties while also holding down his usual roles of vocals and guitars all while spearheading the sessions. Recording with him was former bassist and occasional vocalist/rhythm guitarist Jared who contributed a couple songs here and there to fill up space on the tape. The process was entirely analog, recorded straight to cassette on Nick's old 4-track portastudio during the summer of 2023. Whenever they fucked up, they had to rewind and start again. Although the process was onerous and they used up a lot of tape, after hearing the end result they knew it was worth all the trouble. It may of been easier to turn on a computer and make a whole lot of slick edits but I.S.T. are the type of band who will forgo convenience and do things the hard way if it means coming out with something they believe in and feel proud of. October 2023 was a big month for I.S.T. starting off with Joe's Basement having it's first initial run released on 10/13/2023, the legendary Friday the 13th. Like black cats in Japan, what may seem like bad luck to others is good luck to them. Also evident by their apparent love of satanic motifs, pentagrams, skeletons, skateboards and other unsavory imagry. They ended the month by adding Kitchenor native and all-around crazy dude (not to mention fantastic drummer) Seth to the lineup. For the next 10 months, I.S.T. remained relatively stable; with a new drummer and a tape out, they were ready to hit the road. Since then the band has gone through the usual personnel changes that most find themselves coming across sooner or later. Seth had left to fulfill his dream of living out of his van on a cross Canada excursion, leaving the spot open for Columbian punk rocker and currently on-the-run ex-drug lord Luis to pick up where he left off. Having been witness to many soccer riots in his day, he's well up to the task for playing in a punk rock band (according to him, he takes great pleasure in "stealing our jobs and tax dollars" in addition to his usual mayhem). Also rounding off this new line-up is Nick's old high school classmate, Nik on bass (to everyone's confusion), who he reconnected with during a new years party at the start of the year and later asked to join the band once the last bassist left. The pieces of the puzzle had come together! With a fully-fledged core lineup, I.S.T. are ready to rock yer fuckin faces off! Armed with a bloodlust for life, a need for speed and a penchant for satanic shock value, if you know what's good for you then you're not gonna wanna miss this band when they terrorize your town! They ain't god-fearing but God sure fears them. Satan, on the other hand, is a big fan. If you've been sitting around wondering why "bands these days aren't as good as they used to be" looking for that something to fill the void, then wait no longer! They're here! Get off your ass, turn off your screen, come to a show and maybe buy a shirt or record or two! You won't be disappointed! And if you are... they'll beat your ass! To sum it up, Nick layed out their M.O. best during their eponymous theme song when he sang (yelled?):
"We don't care about you, you don't matter to us! We are whatever we choose, from the womb til we're dust! We're I.S.T.!"

DISCOGRAPHY:

- Joe's Basement 10 Song Tape (Cat# SE-CAS001) Released: 10/13/2023 (OUT OF PRINT)

- Hogtown Hooligans (Cat# SE-CAS002) (COMING LATE SPRING/EARLY SUMMER 2025)

- Don't Hold Your Breath (EP) (Cat# SE-001) (COMING LATE 2025/EARLY 2026)

Back Home