Following on from the unveiling of their singles ‘Can’t Feel Anything’ and ‘Red Run Cold’ in late 2020, fast-rising duo World’s First Cinema tease what’s to come from their debut EP with their new offering ‘Cold Sets In.’
I caught up with the band to chat about the new single, their brave decision to start a band in the middle of a pandemic, and what we can look forward to from the EP.
Fil Thorpe and John Sinclair began releasing music as World’s First Cinema last year in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. This difficult task meant the band had to engage with their audience differently, considering live shows were not an option anymore, and live streams can be challenging to arrange.
“It’s so hard to say for sure, but it’s tough not to imagine what it would’ve been like to release in a world, not under a pandemic. I don’t think it helped as much as it harmed our release. In our opinion, live streams are a really, really tough venue to force people into. They are killer for established artists, but we’re in these critical moments of building our project from scratch and establishing a very specific theme. It just hasn’t felt right for a live stream yet.”
The duo combines expressive orchestration with melodic pop vocals and unique rock production to create an utterly compelling and emotive sound. Within their tracks, the band creates incredible cinematic builds filled with explosive hair raising crescendos and sublime melodic flows. It is no surprise the inspiration that sparked the duos sound is movies.
“Thank you! We work hard to get that sound out of each and every cut. We originally met to make music for film, but it was immediately clear that we had something more on our hands. It was so fun working together that things really just spiraled out of control. We want to put the theater back into popular music. That’s where that explosive energy comes from. We both have such different backgrounds, but they combine in that unique way. A lot of soul-inspired vocals and orchestral strings, blending with Fil’s completely epic rock/EDM production. We both play heavy parts in writing and production, so the two halves blend almost completely. “
A remarkable aspect of World’s First Cinema is the band’s use of strings which glide and swoosh through the tracks with an elegance that highlights the surging and sometimes dark electronics. A wonderful example of this is ‘Red Run Cold.’ The violin has become a vital element in the duo’s songs
“Strings just fit too well with the sweeping, cinematic palette we wanted to work with. And John plays violin. So it was a natural fit. “
World’s First Cinema recently released their new single ‘Cold Sets In,’ a tender track showcasing clean cinematic production and refined heartfelt musicianship. The song’s emotion can carry you away into a world entirely created by the duo as they discuss emotional themes through the medium of majestic arrangements.
“Cold Sets In” is inspired by shared turmoil. The song explores how such heartache can bring you closer to loved ones. Through the lens of pain, we watch how starting over can become the most impactful part of a relationship. Strife can shepherd in both meaning and perspective as its silver lining.
One of the coolest things about our process is that we start every cut with a pretty open mindset. It could go anywhere – we know what we like, and what fits in the world of World’s First Cinema, but each song gets to sort of write itself. Love that.”
The track follows on from World’s First Cinema’s singles ‘Can’t Feel Anything’ and ‘Red Run Cold,’ which were released in late 2020, and have since amassed more than a million streams, with the latter topping the billing on Spotify’s Pop Rock Shot playlist since their release. Excitingly the duo have an EP planned for this year
“We do – can’t say too much, but it’s coming in a matter of weeks. It’s meant to lay a foundation – setting the stage for what’s to come from World’s First Cinema. “
Both Fil and John have a lot of experience in the music industry. Fil was a founding member of Neck Deep, the multi-award-winning rock outfit that also cracked the #2 spot on the US album charts. John (alternatively known as Saint Claire) has previously collaborated with Macklemore on his 2017 single ‘Excavate’.I asked them for some words of wisdom for an emerging songwriter and producer who wishes to pursue a career in music
“Don’t be afraid to pivot and change. You really have no clue what can come next, if you let it.”
World’s First Cinema are a genre-defying and exciting duo to keep an eye on. The deft musicianship, skillful production, and emotion they pour into their songs is impressive and makes for one hair-raising listening experience. I’m looking forward to this mysterious EP they have planned to release this year.
You can stream their new single ‘Cold Sets In’ below
Author : Danu
