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Feb 28, 2025 By Caleb Campbell

New York indie outfit ISTA initially formed in 2019 as a collaboration between musicans Rex Costello and Olver Hart before quickly growing into a full 7-person band, fusing together elements of rock, funk, psych pop, and disco. The band released their self-titled debut album in 2023 and returned last year with their latest track, “Megawatt”. The track is the first taste of the band’s upcoming sophomore album, which once again sees them pairing with producer Sam Cohen (Kevin Morby, Alexandra Savior). Today, they’re back with another new single, “Aim for the Heart,” along with an accompanying video, premiering with Under the Radar.

Where “Megawatt” was a hard-hitting, riff-heavy production, “Aim for the Heart” instead leans into the band’s instincts for vibrant dance rhythms. At various points, playful percussion, fuzzy basslines, bursts of brass, space-faring synths, and funk guitar all enter the mix, playing effortlessly off each other as the vocalists shout their way through the track. ISTA makes full use of their huge line-up, letting each member jump in with a knotted hook or infectious phrase as they sprawl into a dazzling disco rave-up. The accompanying video is a similarly colorful and kaleidoscopic 3D animation, directed by frontman Rex Costello and animator James Horvath.

Costello says of the track, “Conceived as a seed idea in early 2020, we worked out various iterations of the tune intermittently for around 3 years. I’d have to scour voice memos with attempts to remember certain sections, lyrics and ideas every time we’d intend to tie a bow on it during writing sessions. Eventually we brought it to work with Sam in Spring 2024, broke it down to its essential components and let the song become something totally different; ultimately flipping it from an upbeat sunny major key rock tune, to a more moody, transcendental-themed electro dance party. As for the video, James is an absolute genius 3D animator who consistently blew our minds with how well he could create the worlds we were envisioning. From the initial treatment collaboration phase all the way to the final product he was a total joy to work with.”

Check out the song and video below, and stream the track here. You can also find the band’s upcoming tour dates below.

Tour Dates:

June 13 - Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ

June 17 - Mercury Lounge, New York, NY

July 12 - Milkboy, Philadelphia, PA

July 19 - Velvet Earth Farm, Albany, NY

August 8 - Middle East Upstairs, Boston, MA