We caught up with Quinn, frontperson of Connecticut pop-punk band @Cinema Stare, to talk about vulnerability, activism, and building a scene rooted in care. From channeling anxiety and anger into their newest track, “Plus Ultra!”, to creating safe, joyful spaces for their fans, Quinn opens up about what it means to keep punk political, collaborative, unapologetically human-and what that means for the future of the scene.
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Kanan Nagel
When you’re becoming a fan of a new band, what is it that draws you to them? And when someone becomes a fan of Cinema Stare, what do you hope they notice about you in the same way?
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Quinn Miller
There are so many great bands around! When bands are kind and unashamedly themselves, it definitely draws me to them. For Cinema Stare, my hope is that people recognize our silliness and our activism. We very much believe in creating safe spaces and keeping punk political and community-based!
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Kanan Nagel
Forget the usual influences question—what’s one moment or experience that really shaped your songwriting?
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Quinn Miller
There are so many memories—good and bad—that encapsulate my songwriting journey. It’s such a tumultuous art form, but truly, just the sessions where I get to write with my bandmates are what influence me the most. Collaboration is such a powerful tool, and you can get into such a positive flow. Like when we all get a Big Y family-sized pizza and lay down drum tracks or riffs, drinking light beer until we get too sleepy to write anymore.
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Kanan Nagel
Your newest single, “Plus Ultra!”, is really honest about anxiety and struggle. As musicians, do you believe that being vulnerable like that makes for a better relationship with your fans, or is it okay to just display the public side of a band?
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Quinn Miller
We get pretty vulnerable on these new songs! “Plus Ultra!” speaks a lot on my anxiety of feeling inferior and unmotivated, while at the same time, all these outside factors are weighing down on me. Like misogyny, for one, our inequitable country, having to watch atrocities every single day online. It’s hard not to be angry and not put that into all the music we’re writing.
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Kanan Nagel
Your music is so fun and fresh, but still very real and relatable. From a fan perspective, I’m curious, how are you actively making Cinema Stare stand out within the scene?
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Quinn Miller
Well thank you!!!!!!! That’s a really rad compliment! We want to make an impact on our community by bringing the sweetest people together, aka our fans: the Cinnabuns! I don’t know if that makes us stand out, because I think that’s a huge goal of upcoming bands in the scene. To name a few—Pretty Bitter, Nicoteens, Summerbruise, Ultra Deluxe! The crowds at our shows have so far been some of the most comfortable spaces I’ve been in. We’re all so grateful for the community of people that come out to our shows and listen to our music. From chats I have online, to the people that have housed us on tour, to all the bands and friends along the way—it has truly been the best part of being in a band and making music. It’s really awesome to have fans who accept everyone and are vigilant with their empathy and each other’s safety!
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Kanan Nagel
As fans ourselves, is there an artist or band that you would absolutely lose your mind over if you ran into them?
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Quinn Miller
Either Fall Out Boy or Joyce Manor. They are some of my favorite songwriters of all time. I would lose my mind if we ever got to open for those bands. I could name a million more though, fr.
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Kanan Nagel
Here at Never a Phase Network, we are constantly thinking about the scene. Where would you like to see the alternative scene evolve into in the next five years, and how do you hope Cinema Stare fits into that vision?
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Quinn Miller
This question is so cute!! I would LOVE to see the alternative scene take a step back sometimes and try not to bully one another online. We are really an outspoken group of people, which I love, but so often we’re fighting or giving out negative opinions, subtweeting, whatever—it all seems a bit trivial when we could all be organizing and coming together. It’s a very complex subject, but punk people are so progressive and generous. They show up for one another, they support their local bands, they are tough as hell!
Next up, catch the stacked lineup of Cinema Stare opening for Pool Kids on Saturday, January 31st, at Space Ballroom in Hamden, Connecticut.
Fans can purchase tickets here.
