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Official Announcement | Published: Jan 29, 2026 1:58 PM EST<\/p>\n
(Sideways Media) Mystic Knights-the raw, hard-hitting group led by Chris Cester, founding member and longtime driving force behind Jet, release their single “Count”. Self-produced and fully self-released, the track signals a decisive creative shift: instinct over formula, autonomy over expectation, and urgency over nostalgia.<\/p>\n
The new group formed when Cester joined forces with Aaron Eisenberg (also of The Soft White Sixties) and Emmanuel Castro, forming a lean three-piece rooted in garage rock, proto-punk, and ’70s grit. The band’s original name, Mystic Knights of Amnesia, was coined by longtime friend Noel Gallagher, then sharpened to Mystic Knights as their sound and intent crystallized.<\/p>\n
“Count” was written during a period of personal reset for Cester, built late at night from a single guitar riff, a laptop, and a deliberately minimal rhythm. Lyrically, the song plays with the familiar ritual of counting into a track, before rejecting it altogether, serving as a pointed, tongue-in-cheek commentary on formulaic hit-making. The result is a driving, restrained, and defiant song that trusts feel over choreography and instinct over industry rules.<\/p>\n
Though best known as one of rock’s most recognizable drummers, Cester has always been more than a timekeeper. Co-founding Jet alongside his brother Nic in his twenties, he was a core songwriter, backing vocalist, and occasional lead singer for a band that would go on to sell millions of albums worldwide, headline sold-out tours, and open for icons such as Bruce Springsteen and Oasis. Jet’s blistering, riff-forward sound became a global staple of early-2000s rock, but behind the kit, Cester’s songwriting ambitions continued to grow.<\/p>\n
During downtime between tours and throughout Jet’s hiatus, Cester taught himself guitar and gradually stepped into front-and-center performance, discovering a natural command as a vocalist and frontman. That evolution was further validated through his work with rock supergroup The Jaded Hearts Club, including a high-profile performance in which he traded verses onstage with Paul McCartney.<\/p>\n
Mystic Knights came fully into focus during late-night garage sessions, often between midnight and 6 a.m., driven by personal loss, pandemic dislocation, and a renewed hunger to make music that felt raw and unfiltered. Drawing inspiration from The Stooges, AC\/DC, Talking Heads, and the harder edges of ’70s punk, the trio wrote and self-produced a body of work that channels urgency, restraint, and quiet fury beneath its hooks.<\/p>\n
An initial Mystic Knights single, “This High Up,” released last fall, quickly gained traction, landing major sync placements with ESPN and Fox Sports, and reaching No. 1 on the SubModern radio chart, proving this was far more than a side project.<\/p>\n
“Count” serves as the official lead single from the band’s forthcoming EP, due out this spring.. The release also marks a major milestone for Cester: the first time in his career he owns his master’s. “These days, you’ve got to build it yourself,” he says. “But I own the masters. I’ve never owned my own masters ever. In this era, that’s everything.”<\/p>\n
While Mystic Knights are anchored by Cester, Eisenberg, and Castro, the live band expands to include Jacob Pillot and Sebastian Harris, former members of The Shelters, on bass and drums. <\/p>\n
With hundreds of songs written and waiting, Mystic Knights represent the beginning of a prolific new chapter.\n<\/p>\n