Cigarettes for Breakfast on Philly Grit and Staying DIY

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but for Matt Whiteford of Cigarettes for Breakfast, it became a cigarette in place of breakfast before a soul-sucking 5 AM corporate shift. The name wasn’t meant to sound poetic; it came from a passing thought outside work, when he was locking up his bike and running on empty.

Based out of Philadelphia, a city currently acting as the global tectonic center for all things loud and hazy, Cigarettes for Breakfast  started as a bedroom recording experiment - a "fun little side project" that was never intended for the stage.  It gradually evolved into something heavier, both sonically and emotionally, shaped by the same grit that defines the city around it.

The band’s 2025 full-length, Slow Motion, marked a significant shift in their trajectory. Recorded with high-end pre-production and studio drums at Gradwell House, the record introduced them to a much wider audience and placed their sound in the same conversation as other heavyweights of the genre. 

Photo Credit: Joe Justice

Coming off the polished momentum of that full-length and the raw, psychedelic experimentation of 2026’s colour wheel - an EP built from the spontaneous home-studio captures that didn’t fit the rigid structure of the album - we sat down with Matt to talk about the “Philly grit,” the evolution of their recording process, and how the band has managed to stay DIY while growing beyond its bedroom-recording origins.

I have people tell me that they aren’t even going to give my band a chance because “cigarette” is in the name or that I shouldn’t be encouraging people to smoke cigarettes, which I think is pretty hilarious because it’s not really supposed to be a good thing.

How did Cigarettes for Breakfast first come together, and what was the original idea or intention behind the project?

I never really intended for this to be a band or to play live or anything like that. It was really just supposed to be a fun little recording side project in the beginning. At that point, Tony (drummer and founding member) and I had played in a few different bands together where we thought we’d be making shoegaze, but it really wasn’t. I had also started getting into audio engineering and wanted to record and mix more music. So I came up with some songs and recorded them in my bedroom. I made some DIY tapes and CDs. Everything DIY, and it’s (mostly) stayed that way ever since.

The name Cigarettes for Breakfast is instantly evocative—where does it come from, and what does it represent for you? Do you often get mistaken for Cigarettes After Sex?

Yeah haha the Cigarettes After Sex thing is a funny one. I had actually never even heard of them before people started telling me that I “ripped off” their name. We occasionally get tagged in things instead of them which always gives me a good chuckle. It seems to be less of a thing as time has gone on. Anyway, the name came about when I was just starting to come up with song ideas for the self-titled EP. I had recently started working a pretty soul-sucking corporate job that required me to start at 4 or 5 in the morning most days. Before I got into the rhythm of the schedule, I kept not having time to eat breakfast. After a few days in a row, I was smoking a cigarette while locking up my bike in front of the building and thought, “I guess it’s a cigarette for breakfast again today.” At that point, I had a few songs but hadn't named the project yet, and as the day went on “Cigarettes for Breakfast” resonated with me more and more, so I just kinda went with my gut. I have people tell me that they aren’t even going to give my band a chance because “cigarette” is in the name or that I shouldn’t be encouraging people to smoke cigarettes, which I think is pretty hilarious because it’s not really supposed to be a good thing. It was at a time when I was really struggling and trying to make positive changes in my life. I think if anything it’s really a statement about our society, where the easiest option tends to be the worst option for us.

Do you remember the first time you connected with shoegaze? Was there a specific band or record that pulled you into that world?

I think I had originally been introduced to Nothing and Whirr when I learned about the term “shoegaze.” Our drummer Tony played in the band Nothing right before I met him, so when we first started hanging out and playing music together, that stuff kind of came more to the forefront for me. I had definitely heard Slowdive, Ride, Chapterhouse, etc. without knowing that was what it was called. I’m sure it’s obvious, but hearing Loveless by My Bloody Valentine is what really sealed the deal for me. There’s nothing else that scratches the itch quite the way My Bloody Valentine does. The sounds/tunings/techniques have been endlessly intriguing to me.

Which shoegaze or adjacent artists have had the biggest influence on your sound over time?

My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Ride, Chapterhouse, Ringo Deathstarr, Nothing, and Whirr. Some non-shoegaze/adjacent ones I think would probably be Nirvana, At the Drive-In, Sonic Youth, and Explosions in the Sky. I grew up listening to and playing grunge/pop punk/emo/screamo stuff too, so I’m sure some of that influences my thought process at times.

For readers discovering you for the first time, how would you describe Cigarettes for Breakfast in your own words?

Modernized classic shoegaze. Life is weird, life is raw, life is noisy, life is hard, and I invite you to join us on this journey navigating our collective existence.

Your full-length album in 2025 introduced you to a much wider audience. How did you experience the reception to that record, both from listeners and within the scene?

Yeah it’s been cool to see people connecting with it. We definitely felt a bit of a shift when we were on tour right after the release. Being in the same conversation as Whirr’s record Raw Blue was pretty wild... and also seemed to really piss some people off haha.

Image Credit: shoegaze_memes

You followed it up with a new EP in 2026—how does that release differ from the full-length in terms of sound, process, or intention?

The majority of colour wheel was actually made during the same period of time as Slow Motion. swallowed alive, for example, was a completely finished track before most of Slow Motion was written.

As far as process goes, Slow Motion had a lot more intention behind it. I did proper pre-production, I recorded the drums at Gradwell House in a nice studio with nice microphones, and had a plan for the arrangements and sounds I wanted before I ever even put a mic in front of a guitar amp. By the time I was mixing, all the hard work was done. On the other hand, pretty much everything on colour wheel came about from experimentation. It’s a lot of weirder/more psychedelic stuff that didn’t really make sense for Slow Motion, but over time, I saw that it all actually fit together as its own separate thing. Most of the songs are the original recordings from the moment the idea came together in my home studio. No pre-production, no fancy studio. Just from idea to finished track in one go.

Philadelphia has become a global hotspot for shoegaze in recent years. How has being based there shaped your identity as a band—creatively or practically?

Creatively, I think there is a certain grit to this place that comes through in the music of everyone that is from here. Practically, we have a great scene, lots of cool small venues, and a lot of other cities within a few hours in any direction.

Do you feel any pressure being part of the “Philly shoegaze” wave, or is it more of a supportive community from your perspective?

I don’t know if I’d say there’s pressure really. We’re just kind of doing our thing. It’s kind of interesting because even being from here, we still don’t seem to get lumped in with the Nothing, TAGABOW, Fullbody 2, Her New Knife, or Knifeplay type bands during the conversation a lot of the time. So I guess I’d say there’s just a lot of noise from how many bands that are labeled as “shoegaze” here.

Who are some Philadelphia (or broader underground) bands you think deserve more attention right now?

Doused, Flatwaves, Pale Shade, So Totally, Bleary Eyed, the place lives, Highspire, Slide, Jet Fuel Soda, Farewell Days, Halloween, and Skeever all definitely come to mind from Philly. Some others outside Philly, I’d say Glimmer, Velvet, Bedroom Eyes, Daundry, Fawn, Waves Crashing, Total Wife, and Luster.

Finally, what’s next for Cigarettes for Breakfast—more releases, touring, or something entirely different?

I’m kind of always writing so there are some ideas bopping around, but we’re just kind of focused on what’s in front of us right now. We’re touring a good bit this year and hitting a lot of cities we haven't played yet, so we’re really stoked for all the shows and look forward to seeing everyone out there!