World’s First Cinema is a genre-blurring duo founded by multi-faceted musicians Fil Thorpe and John Sinclair. Blending cinematic orchestration with elements of alternative, rock, power pop and beyond, the pair has carved out a distinctive sound where sweeping instrumentation collides with anthemic songwriting. Listening to their music ignites a grand feeling — the same kind that can be felt while deeply immersed in a pivotal film or television scene. Their sound stands out amongst anything else we’ve heard thanks to its captivating wow factor and ability to trigger an emotional response that correlates to main character energy.
Since their inception in 2020, World’s First Cinema has attracted listeners by crafting a widescreen sound that feels equally at home in a movie trailer as it does in front of a live audience. The duo’s debut album, Something of Wonder, is set for release on July 11th via Fearless Records. We had the opportunity to chat with the guys about their journey into music, the new record, their exciting run on Warped Tour and future plans for this year.
Fil and John, who are both primarily based in Los Angeles (where they met at a mutual friend’s game night), knew what they wanted from the start — from their sound to their approach — even their name was an instant decision that came out on a whim:
We wanted our sound to be cinematic and grand in nature — from the very start, that was the goal when we were making the music. We were working out of Fil’s spot in K-Town [Koreatown] and running through names and Fil just spat it out. And I was just like, ‘That’s it. That’s the one.'” — John Sinclair, World’s First Cinema
Both had only known each other briefly before diving into music together. Each brings their own seasoning to World’s First Cinema. Fil, who is Neck Deep’s former bassist, offers a heavy pop-punk, alternative and rock background. His influence can be heard within powerful, punchy elements that rouse listeners to really feel the tempo. John, who focuses more on composing and scoring, contributes an orchestral, cinematic aspect that immerses listeners into their own world. Despite such diverse backgrounds, these two have blended the best of their talents to curate a unique sound that we truly haven’t heard anywhere else before. Both John and Fil share an equal appreciation toward each other’s individual touches, which allows their yin-and-yang to balance in a complementary manner. Fil tells us:
“I bring more of a heavier edge coming from the alternative music space… even more of a contemporary pop sound as well. John really excels at the fantasy, cinematic-like sound with the violins and classical sounds. He is really knowledgeable in the realm of video games, scoring, soundtracks, etc. He brings a lot of really cool melodic elements and instrumentation to our music.” — Fil Thorpe, World’s First Cinema
The pair explains that their big sound was curated with intention from the start. Every track was carefully crafted to have a silver screen feel, creating a cohesive sound that would not just reflect the name World’s First Cinema, but ultimately define the band’s sound. “There’s been a trend where I’ve seen a pop-punk or metal bands decide they want to be cinematic and just throw some violins into a new song… but, that element just sits on top of the track instead of blending in,” Fil says. “We don’t want our sound to be like a quick gimmick. We want this to be a very immersive feel, and the roots of that really start with John’s approach and expertise.”
Collectively, their work explores storytelling themes across the board accompanied by grand arrangements that feel both modern and timeless. Off their upcoming album Something of Wonder, a track called “Paranoid” showcases the best of both worlds. The song maintains a strong, head-nodding foundation followed by a bright, gentle theatrical-based bridge, allowing both elements to flow naturally together. “Postcard” is a mellow, emotion-inducing track with gentle piano, a beautiful bridge and outro with dreamy strings. In addition, their latest single release, “Broken” (featuring JD Cliffe) highlights the same collection of sounds, plus a third hip-hop element from JD, giving this track an even bolder sound — something that feels straight off the Euphoria soundtrack. “I definitely think “Broken” with JD is a standout track on this album, because it is a bit different,” notes John. As for other songs on the record, each have their individual sound, but all remain intertwined in some way.
“I feel like our album qualifies as being really eclectic. There is a similar thread that can be pulled from start to finish, especially with the symphonic interludes on the album [and on the deluxe and vinyl]. The songs themselves…. we’ve always thought of them as these film vignettes — each is like their own movie scene or standalone story, but still part of the entire picture.” — John Sinclair, World’s First Cinema
The world can expect to hear “a pretty wide variety” of songs according to John. With a dynamic range of material on the way, we’re truly anticipating listening to the final album front to back.
A debut album isn’t the only exciting thing happening for World’s First Cinema — they’re on the roster for this year’s Vans Warped Tour at all three stops, most recently playing in Washington D.C. last month. Warped Tour has always included fresh-on-the-scene artists in a wide range of sub-genres on their lineup over years, so we’re thrilled to see this still implemented decades later.
It was John’s first time playing and attending Warped Tour. “There is a super cool and connected community at Warped Tour,” says John. “It was awesome to meet new fans who were adjacent fans to so many other mutually-adored bands on the tour. This felt much more than a regular festival, this one was special.” With Fil growing up in England, he never was able to attend in Warped’s early years:
“I watched bits of Warped Tour on YouTube as a teenager, only dreaming that I could be there one day. Later on, I was lucky enough to be in a band that did Warped Tour four times in its entirety before it ended. To have it back is really special… it’s got so much history, and it’s such an important part of the alternative music scene. I have so much respect for everyone involved. To be able to go back is such a blessing.” — Fil Thorpe, World’s First Cinema
If you’re headed to Warped Tour in Long Beach in July or Orlando in November, be sure to squeeze World’s First Cinema into your day’s schedule. Their live performance is an impressive blend of a traditional rock show with pleasant surprises like symphonic breakdowns that allow for mind-bending instrumental solos and jam sessions on stage. “I think everyone can expect to see something more interesting and more moving and special than a standard rock show. The dynamics and different instrumentation present more of a continuous show and experience,” says Fil.
If you can’t make it to Warped Tour, John and Fil did confirm they are hashing out details for touring in the near future. Until then, World’s First Cinema will be headlining a Something of Wonder album release show at The Moroccan Lounge in Los Angeles on August 7th. Tickets to the show can be purchased here — we hope to see you there!
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