Artist Interview: Misting

Their intriguing band name originates from a book Finn was reading at the time, ‘Mistborn’ by Brandon Sanderson. The band loved the magical undertones that this title had, thus adapting it to the name we know them by now. Writing original songs based on real life experiences, Misting tackle subjects such as heartbreak and mental health in their writing which you can hear on Soundcloud now!

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Misting

Leeds-based emo/post hardcore band Misting chatted about their background and inspirations in music this week. Consisting of Rhys Jones (he/him) on drums, Alex Howles (he/him) on bass, Finn Johnson (he/him) on guitar and India Davies Nilsson (she/her) on vocals, they have kept busy booking gigs and recording sessions since they first created the band together.

What’s Your Background In Music?

“Growing up watching my dad’s cousin playing drums I knew I wanted to do the same.”

Rhys has been surrounded by drums since he was little, so he began his musical journey by learning to play at nine years old. Throughout high school and college he took music very seriously, joining his first band at sixteen and performing at venues up and down the country.

Alex originally learned guitar with his dad, and his talents were recognised by his music teacher in school. Soon after, he was playing bass for the school’s jazz band!

Finn picked up his first guitar out of curiosity, with his interest growing throughout each year in school. As a teenager, he started to pursue music more academically, which led to joining multiple North-East indie bands throughout school and college.

India first started singing lessons at four, and fell in love with music! After training in musical theatre and beginner opera, she pursued performing arts in college and university. Then, she pivoted, switching to pop music and completely changing vocal styles and techniques.

What Are Your Biggest Achievements So Far?

Being a band for just over a year, but only gigging since October 2025, Misting are proud of the live performances they have organised this year. “We’ve been booking gigs in quick succession since our first gig” and they’re not planning on stopping anytime soon.

Who Are Your Biggest Inspirations In Music?

When it comes to being a band, a mixture of musical backgrounds and influences are what make their music so unique and exciting. Rhys was inspired by Chad Smith, John Bonham, Jeff Porcaro and Stewart Copeland, but in recent years he has taken inspiration from progressive rock and metal drummers such as Gavin Harrison and Danny Carey. “I try to blend the styles shared by all those drummers.”

Alex is largely inspired by the American producer Will Yip, “he has a lot of care for albums he works on.” He also mentions Yip’s ability to get the best out of artists, pushing their abilities further on records which influences the way Alex performs in the studio too.

Finn admires a mixture of bands, songwriters and instrumentalists, such as Touché Amore and Black Country, New Road, Will Toledo and Jake Ewald, and Yvette Young.

India’s gateway into heavier music was My Chemical Romance, “I’m a sucker for storytelling through song, I remember wanting to make music like them when I first heard them.” Her vocal influences come from Tatiana Shmayluk from Jinjer, and Chester Bennington from Linkin Park.

Who Would You Like To Collaborate With In The Future?

Misting would love to collaborate with bands from the American DIY emo scene, like First Day Back, My Point Of You and Awakebutstillinbed.

“These are all extremely cool bands that I admire and would lead to some cool projects.”

Recommend Me An Album/Single/Soundtrack

Rhys recommends ‘In Absentia’ by Porcupine Tree, “I was introduced to this album a couple years ago and instantly fell in love with it. The dynamic contrasts, the complex rhythms and crazy guitar riffs make this album so interesting to listen to.”

Alex recommends ‘Transatlanticism’ by Death Cab for Cutie, “It’s still a relatively new album to me, only discovering it over a year ago but it’s one of my favourites, it reminds me of a pleasant time, which is kinda silly as that time was about nine months ago.”

Finn recommends Chat Pile and Hayden Pedigo’s ‘In The Earth Again’, “it’s probably the most interesting project of 2025, an insane mix of sludge metal, noise, ambient and folk, it really resonated with me.”

India recommends ‘People Watching’ by 156/Silence, “I was very much deviating from listening to heavier music for a while and this got me really excited about it again.”

What’s Next?

Misting are singlehandedly carrying us through the colder months and into spring with their upcoming gigs, and I couldn’t be more grateful. They’re starting off at Hyde Park Book Club in Leeds on 17th Jan, then heading over to The Lending Room in Leeds on 20th Jan, taking over Oporto in Leeds on 1st Feb for Independent Venue Week, and mesmerising the audiences of Ship Isis in Sunderland on 20th Feb.

And that’s not all, as they teased a potential upcoming release later in 2026, with more updates coming soon on their social media.