Mustard had the pleasure of speaking with Quinni and Jason from Connecticut’s Cinema Stare. Together we discussed Nicole Kidman, their pop-punk influence, Italiancore, their upcoming album “The Things I Don’t Need”, and so much more!
Vocals – Quinni
Guitar – Jason
1. Mustard is grateful to have Cinema Stare join them at Music Shelf. How is everyone doing today?
Quinni: I’m doing okay! Honored to be here talking to Mustard- a great condiment. Hope y’all are doing well too!
2. According to Nicole Kidman humans go to the cinema for magic. What films can the band be found staring at?
Quinni: Cinema Stare goes to the cinema to laugh, to cry, to care. Because we need that, all of us. More specifically, you can find me laughing, crying, and caring about any Wes Anderson movie, The Princess Bride, or John Carpenter’s The Thing, respectively.
3. Speaking of films, Mustard has observed humans’ love origin stories. How and when did Cinema Stare form?
What came first? The Cinema or the Stare?? It is an origin story of legends but rumors have said it started with a lot of RedBull, an apartment in New Haven, and a recording of demos in a closet.
4. What type of film would Cinema Stare like their music to be featured in? Who is the band’s favorite director?
Quinni: If we could get one of our songs in some weird art-house Damien Chazelle type beat movie or a Disney animated film, I’d be happy. I’m thinking like Ratatouille 2 and yes, Cinema Stare will write a feature song for this film. Or the whole soundtrack if they really want.
5. How has 2000s era pop-punk influenced Cinema Stare? What are some essential pop-punk albums from this time?
Jason: When I was in the second grade, my first favorite albums were All Killer No Filler by Sum 41 and Sticks And Stones by New Found Glory. That was when I really felt like I found my own music that was made for me and not something I heard from my brother or from my friends. I think since that had such an impact on me, all the albums I discovered around then still do. I think a few more essential pop-punk albums from around that time are Say It Like You Mean It by The Starting Line, Mmhmm by Relient K, and Take This To Your Grave by Fall Out Boy.
6. Is it true that New Haven has the best pizza? Could you share more about Cinema Stare’s brand of CT Italiancore?
Quinni: I’m a degenerate. I will eat any form of pizza you put in front of me. I have little opinion on New Haven pizza but I am legally required to say it is the best. You’ll have to corner Pasquale, our drummer, for his answer on New Haven pizza because his name is literally Pasquale- like that’s Italian cheese lineage right there.
7. In a recent tweet you shared that you ate hot pockets and drank Mountain Dew for breakfast. You now feel like you can do anything. Is this a common way for humans to gain powers? What flavor was both the hot pocket and Mountain Dew?
Jason: If they do give humans powers, I’m likely one of the most powerful people on earth. The Hot Pocket was pepperoni pizza flavored and the Mountain Dew was the original flavor in the can.
8. Does Cinema Stare still have plans to turn a church parking lot into a skate park?
Jason: As the great Joni Mitchell (almost) once said, yes.
9. What is Cinema Stare’s creative process?
10. Last November you released double singles “Feel Like Luv/Yr Mind.” Would you say these songs have a shared narrative?
Quinni: Those songs definitely have a collective narrative. They were both written at the same time and about the same person. It was essentially me commenting on the most shady situationship I had experienced and probably will ever experience. Without getting too much into it, there are real life scenarios I mention in both songs and “Feel Like Luv” even ends with the lyric “I guess you couldn’t make up yr mind because it doesn’t feel like love at all.”
11. What are some signs that a human is unable to make up their mind? What can be done to help them make up their mind?
Qunni: The most sure sign of a human being unable to make up their mind is an increasing interest in cryptocurrency. I would say leave that human to their own devices but if they really need help resolving this issue, they just have to listen to “Yr Mind” by this really stinky band called Cinema Stare and then they will probably know what to do. (Cinema Stare is not a leading medical professional and this advice is purely circumstantial and not based on research or prior evidence.)
12. You followed it up with “Bad.” What was the inspiration behind this single?
Quinni: It was and remains to be inspired by my struggle with my gender and sexuality. Dating in the last few years of my life being difficult and conflicting with the image of myself at times. I’m in a way healthier relationship and experience right now, but that song really came from a time of me not knowing who I was or what I was doing.
13. Last week saw the release of your newest single “Remember.” Could you tell us more about this song?
Quinni: This song is a summer bop to me- big energy and a really rhythmic tune!! I always wanted to write upbeat songs that were “more than meets the eye”. So “Remember” is one of those bittersweet stories and up for the interpretation of anyone’s personal relationships that are giddy and nostalgic. This album in general feels like encapsulations of moments in my life combined with experiences of people I know and people Ive talked to.
14. What can fans expect from your upcoming debut album “The Things I Don’t Need?” How do singles “Bad” and “Remember” help prepare listeners?
Quinni: The cool thing about the album is all the songs still feel really unique to me. They’re reminiscent of songs we love from bands we love- The Starting Line, Fountains of Wayne, Charli XCX, and Charly Bliss. On top of that, each track speaks its own mind. A personal favorite of mine being “committhistohotkeys” which I wrote after being inspired by the online gaming community and their…. kindness!! It’s a song that remains relatable to me to this day. There’s a lot of lyrics that still speak true and some that resonated more with me at the time of writing, but regardless the album was loved and crafted by people who love music and everything it stands for.
15. A human gets the chance to see Cinema Stare perform. How would you describe your live performances?
Qunni: We have so much energy at one of our performances. All of us collectively have such a big personality that we naturally are rocking and rolling when we’re up on stage. It’s kind of like playing Guitar Hero where you also get to dress up like Kiss the band if you want. We try to create an environment that is open, respectful, and silly. I dance a lot even though I wouldn’t say I’m a good dancer 🤪 but I’m having fun and that’s kinda my main reason for being alive at this point.
16. Do you have any upcoming shows?
Quinni: Yeah! We actually have a whole tour booked with our friends in Leisure Hour. We’re heading out May to June 2023. We probably have some more booked for August and even as far as October tho 👀 Can you include the eyes emoji?
17. Where can readers listen to your music? Can they pre-save/order your upcoming debut album?
Quinni: We are on any streaming platform I could think of off the top of my head! Definitely check us out on YouTube if you wanna see some really incredible music videos made by us + our friends!! We have one for each new single- “Bad”, “Remember”, and even “Feel Like Luv”! We also have pre-orders on CD/Vinyl + I think a couple casettes left for our double single split. So yeah! You can even find us on Tiktok if you wanted! Just search Cinema Stare or @cinemastare and thanks for your time!! Thanks for the questions and reaching out to us about this release!
Music Shelf With Mustard 