Liverpool indie favourites The Cheap Thrills have announced details of their long-awaited debut album, Keep Cheap, arriving on 18th September 2026. Alongside the album announcement, the band have unveiled an extensive run of UK headline dates this autumn, plus a series of special instore performances to celebrate the release.
The Cheap Thrills
After years of building a devoted following through relentless touring and a string of standout singles, Keep Cheap marks a defining moment for the quartet. More than simply a debut, it serves as a reflection on the band’s journey from teenage friends rehearsing in Liverpool to becoming one of the city’s most exciting contemporary guitar acts.
Frontman Lewis Pike explains that the album title has long been part of the band’s identity: “Keep Cheap has been our motto for years. It’s about doing things on our own terms, and that attitude has shaped everything we’ve done. It felt like the only title our first album could have.”
Across 13 tracks, the record balances uplifting indie-rock anthems with introspective songwriting, tackling themes of love, growing up, anxiety, addiction and self-discovery without losing the humour and unmistakable Scouse character that has become one of the band’s defining traits.
Opening track hairs introduces the album with shimmering synths and an optimistic energy, while looking leans into politically aware indie storytelling with spoken-word influences and social commentary. Elsewhere, run explores living with anxiety, pairing upbeat guitar hooks with lyrics about internal struggles and the temptation to escape.
The emotional depth continues throughout the album. Songs including air breathing mammals and electric fences examine self-worth, isolation and the difficulty of allowing others in, while previously released fan favourites such as codependence and walton vale showcase the songwriting that has helped establish The Cheap Thrills as one of Liverpool’s fastest-rising bands.
Walton Vale, in particular, has become one of the group’s defining tracks, painting a compassionate portrait of addiction and hardship through the lens of one of Liverpool’s lesser-known streets. Meanwhile, codependence introduced the band to an even wider audience after being featured as part of Liverpool FC’s European kit campaign.
Produced with an emphasis on both anthemic choruses and lyrical honesty, Keep Cheap captures the balance that has fuelled the band’s growing reputation. Drawing inspiration from the melodic immediacy of British indie while retaining a distinctly local voice, the album positions The Cheap Thrills for a breakthrough beyond Merseyside.
The release follows years of momentum built through festival appearances, sold-out hometown shows and an ever-expanding fanbase. Before the album lands, the band will headline their biggest hometown show to date at Liverpool’s Mountford Hall before embarking on a packed run of festival appearances and a UK headline tour, with several dates already sold out months in advance.
Upcoming UK & Ireland Dates:
JULY
25th – Tattenhall, Together Again Festival
AUGUST
1st – Liverpool, Mountford Hall
2nd – Derbyshire, Y Not Festival
22nd – Atherstone, 110 Above Festival
28th – Wakefield, Tileyard North (with The Fratellis)
SEPTEMBER – Instores
18th – Liverpool, Jacaranda Baltic
19th – Liverpool, Jacaranda Baltic
20th – Liverpool, Jacaranda
22nd – Leeds, Jumbo Records
23rd – London, Rough Trade East
24th – Bury, Wax & Beans
OCTOBER
7th – Glasgow, SWG3 Poetry Club
8th – Newcastle, Think Tank?
9th – Manchester, Manchester Academy
10th – Nottingham, The Bodega Social Club
11th – Leeds, Oporto
13th – Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach
14th – Bristol, The Croft
15th – Southampton, Heartbreakers
16th – London, Barfly Camden
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