Who are the band members and what do they play?
Matt Whiteford - Vocals, Guitar. Donnie CoCo - Vocals, Bass. Cameron Kynett - Vocals, Guitar. Chris Doyle - Guitar. Tony Rossi - Drums.
How and where did you get together?
Cigarettes for Breakfast was founded by Matt Whiteford in winter, 2019 in Philadelphia, PA. After playing in many bands (Starterjacket, Something Like a Monument, Queen Hilma, TIME, etc), Whiteford decided it was time to start his own project. He originally intended for Cigarettes for Breakfast to be a studio project, where he could work independently and draw from his own personal influences. Whiteford’s main inspiration for this project comes from his appreciation for ’90s alternative bands, such as My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Ride. Cigarettes for Breakfast follows suit by exhibiting classic shoegaze elements, including a plethora of effects and pedal-work and a washy, guitar-heavy sound. Whiteford included former bandmates Tony Rossi and Cameron Kynett from Starterjacket, later adding Donnie CoCo and Chris Doyle to form the band.
What are the band's main influences?
My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Radiohead, Explosions in the Sky, At the Drive In
Are there any other interesting or amusing happenings – no matter how small – that the band have been involved with that would be of interest to those who like your music?
Matt Whiteford was the touring guitar player for Andi & Alex (Queen Hilma) from the TV show "The Voice". Tony Rossi was the drummer in "Nothing" before their current drummer Kyle Kimball.
Do you have any favourable quotes from previous reviews of the band that you'd be happy to share?
"Aphanstasia hits every element of Cigarettes For Breakfast’s fore-runners of My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive and Ride, balancing noisy instrumentation, haunting vocals floating within, and more subtle and entrancing blended melodies. Its eerie, psychedelic sounds tie into both the genre and album title, serving up music of the mind in its all-consuming effects." - WXPN
Where was the single/EP/album recorded and who was involved in its production?
The drums were recorded at Jeff Lucci's (Mo Lowda & the Humble, Air Is Human, Something Like a Monument) studio. The rest of the instrumentation was recorded at Whiteford's South Street apartment, mixed by Whiteford at The Hatch Studio, and mastered by Alex Santilli at Spicehouse Sound.
Is there a particular ethos behind the single/EP/album or any particular music styles or events that inspired it?
Wait attempts to encapsulate an argument between two parents from the perspective of a child. Its distant, dreamlike quality echos only bits and pieces, but still brings forth bleak memories of childhood nostalgia.
Can you briefly describe what the song/each song is about? If you are releasing an album then either describe the thinking behind the project or choose a couple of lead tracks to focus on.
"I Thought I Was Transforming Into a Butterfly but I Am Yet Another Moth to the Flame" is a sort of Post Rock introduction to set the mood, while the title track "Wait" is the main focus of the Single.
Were there any notable or amusing happenings surrounding the recording/production of the EP?
Our drummer, Tony Rossi, was clipped by a car while riding his bike the day before the recording session (he was pretty banged up but ok!) We ended up having our former bandmate Josh Aptner (Starterjacket, Something Like a Monument, Air Is Human) play drums on short notice. Matt recorded the synth part for "I Thought I Was Transforming Into a Butterfly but I Am Yet Another Moth to the Flame" while his parents were in the room. They had come to go to dinner with Matt and his girlfriend and Matt was showing them the synth he had been using, joking "Who knows maybe I'll make a song out of this". "Wait" was actually started before "Aphantasia" but was put on hold as its more polished sound did not fit in with the rawness of "Aphantasia" and had differing concepts. "I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things."