The Unlikely Candidates

When you watch a movie in a crowded theater, you give your undivided attention to the experience itself. Your senses lock into the action on the screen and the sound from the speakers, and you’re completely immersed.

World’s First Cinema replicate the moviegoing experience in their music. The Los Angeles-based duo—John Sinclair and Fil Thorpe—project a myriad of intimate emotions across widescreen soundscapes underpinned by scenes of alternative, indie, pop, and electronic. After amassing over 20 million streams and counting and earning widespread acclaim from WONDERLAND., EUPHORIA., Earmilk, The Line of Best Fit, and many more, the band conjure up a vision with blockbuster appeal and indie heart on their 2023 debut EP for Fearless Records, Palm Reader.

“For me, our name elicits a visual,” states Fil. “Imagine a bunch of people sit down in a room. They don’t know what they’re doing, but they’re pointed towards a screen. A film plays, and everyone’s mind is fucking blown. That’s the feeling we want to give. We want hearing our music to be similar to the sensation of going to a movie for the first time ever.”

“We really tried to capture the sensation of sitting in a theater, hearing the opening credits rumble on that bass, and viewing the story in a song,” agrees John.

The pair’s origin story is like something out of a classic flick…

A mutual friend invited John and Fil to a game night, and they naturally started chatting. A few weeks later, they met up for a session, cooking up their 2020 debut single “Can’t Feel Anything.” It eventually generated 2.2 million Spotify streams followed by “Red Run Cold” with 7.5 million Spotify streams. Both songs adorned their debut Rituals EP in 2021. They inspired tastemaker praise with “Supernatural.” Of the latter, The Line of Best Fit urged, “think Panic! at the Disco meets Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ – it’s fun, funky and spooky,” and WONDERLAND. attested, “the L.A.-based duo are redefining pop one theatrical rock melody at a time.” Carrying this momentum into 2022, “Young Beast” generated 1.7 million Spotify streams, and they teamed up with Punctual for the fan favorite “Castles.”

Along the way, the guys crafted what would become Palm Reader.

“The last EP was very dark and more guitar-driven,” Fil notes. “There was a spooky horror influence. This one is a step away from the darkness. We’re showing we have another side with dreamier tracks.”

John elaborates, “It’s a chance to expand on what we’ve already done and explore new territory. We’re painting a vignette into the future of what we want World’s First Cinema to sound like, while keeping a handle on where we came from.”

Kicking off their next act, the single “SOS” tempers boisterous rock guitar with a “violin drop,” dripping in soundtrack-style orchestration. It climaxes on a chantable chorus, “SOS, I’m in my head, you’re gonna have to break me out again.”

“Lyrically, we’re diving into anxiety and stress,” reveals Fil. “It’s one of the first songs we’ve done that’s based on personal themes. The biggest issues are the issues you create in your own mind. You’re afraid of drowning in your own thoughts, and you need to pull yourself out.”

Elsewhere, soft piano sets the tone for “Palm Reader.” The vulnerable vocals echo as a string section clashes with glitchy beat-craft.

“It goes back to our roots,” John goes on. “It’s about this ever-changing relationship between two people that seems random. However, this fortune teller character is weaving these threads of fate between them. You wonder if you can trust her, or if it’s just temporary.”

Then, there’s “Love You Now.” Born out of a “jam when we were goofing around in Guitar Center,” it nods to classic rock with its expansive refrain. “We juiced it up and brought it back to the cinematic world though,” says John.

Over a sparse sonic backdrop wrapped in swells of strings and keys, “Holy Water” pours out raw emotion with a tearful refrain “about the balance between life and death and what we see is we’re leaving the path of life and watching everyone else walk through limbo.”

In the end, World’s First Cinema present an escape worthy of the big screen, and you’ll never want the credits to roll.

“We hope you get that post-movie feeling,” they both agree. “After it’s over, you’re light on your feet. You don’t know what hit you, but you’re awestruck, and you want more.”

Host or Publisher Mesa Theater