Introducing: The Cheap Thrills

With the wait almost over and the long, treacherous road to Scala finally behind us, now seems like the perfect opportunity to introduce you all to the excellent bands that will be supporting The Skinner Brothers on what we already predict will be a historic night for everyone involved.

As you may have seen yesterday, Jackie had the honor of doing a Q&A with Patrick from HandsomeRat, and it is my absolute pleasure today to introduce you to your next obsession: The Cheap Thrills.

Many of you will already know The Cheap Thrills— an indie rock quartet who have been shaking things up in Liverpool's fabled music scene for the past 10 years. And I'm sure that those of you who were not already familiar began doing your research the moment you heard they were opening for the Skinner Brothers. It's like these boys just turned up on your porch looking to take your daughter out on a date! Okay, so we're a bit overprotective—it's a family thing, you understand.

But these guys? They're alright. They pass the all the vibe checks with flying colors, and we can't wait to see what they have in store for us in just a few short days!

Whatever the magic touch is, The Cheap Thrills certainly seem to have it! With Lewis Pike on vocals and guitar, Callum Fitzpatrick on bass, Anton Eager on drums, and Terry Eaves also covering guitar, keyboard, and synthesizers, these guys know exactly what they bring to the table. Their sound is impressively unique, yet still manages to hold on to all the heart and soul that is becoming synonymous with British independent music. They have the kind of grassroots authenticity that their fans crave, and each of their energetic performances feel like being welcomed home by an old friend.

The Cheap Thrills are no strangers to large crowds and events that rattle the very foundation they were built on. You may remember seeing them at The Great Escape, Kendall Calling, or perhaps Liverpool's Sound City back in 2012. Maybe you caught them on tour, supporting the likes of Cast and Jamie Webster. But no matter how you've managed to come across them, there's no denying that their resume is beyond impressive for such a young band.

The 2017 song Sentimentality was the first of theirs to be played on BBC Radio 6, and by 2020 they had ventured all the way to New York City to perform at the New Colossus festival. I'm curious if they had any difficulties with that one, considering they were thousands of miles away from home just as the pandemic was beginning to lock down the whole world.

The Cheap Thrills always manage to rise above the chaos though, and after signing with Eighties Vinyl Records in 2017, the band released several singles that were well received by their growing fanbase. They also released their EPs Vue Du Monde and Glare, the latter of which received a glowing review from Gigwise.

All eyes were on this up-and-coming group, and by 2022, Liverpool Football Club had chosen an acoustic version of the song Codependence for the release of their 2022/2023 third kit, as seen below.

Released in March of 2018, Codependence is one of The Cheap Thrills most well-known tracks. Prior to being recognized by the Liverpool Football Club, it also received a nod from the music magazine Louder Than War as one of their writer's choices that same year. With a guitar riff that cuts through you like a solar flare, and that sweet, sweet synthesizer wrapping you up and carrying you lovingly back to the 80's, it's no wonder why.

The lyrics are also extremely relatable—regrettably so, in fact. Talking about how the fear of having to learn to live without someone can often outweigh the unhealthiness of a codependent relationship. In reality, this song is a three and a half minute therapy session without the disadvantage of a copay.

Signposts point to nowhere
When nowhere sounds like home

That may be one of the most interesting aspects of The Cheap Thrill's musical style—beyond the old-school feeling of the synthesizers and guitars, the lyrics are very deep and meaningful as well. Almost poetic. Each song manages to bridge the gap between something you can dance to at a party and something you only discuss behind closed doors.

Take their 2024 single, Last Orders, for instance. It starts off with a classic lo-fi crackle that immediately sucks you in, but then quickly transitions into themes of finding love in all the wrong places (or at the very least, the wrong time). Maybe the overarching theme here is the poor decisions of youth, but either way the lyrics connect with you on a deeper level and somehow leave you feeling emotionally validated.

We’ll outrun the past
Quite fancy the present
I’m using the future as an anti-depressant

After they support the Skinner Brothers at the historic and storied Scala venue on May 28th, they will be returning in full force to the Ynot festival this summer. Which means their dance card is looking pretty full in terms of sold-out shows, but if you're quick about it, there's still some tickets left for the other dates on their tour. You can find those here.

With the upcoming Scala gig selling out only few short hours after the tickets went on sale, we know that this is definitely going to be a night to remember. If you're fortunate enough to be able to attend, my envy is likely palpable through the screen right now, but you will walk away with memories that will last a lifetime. So buckle up and make sure you grab your merch early, because one day your children will be lining up around the block to see The Cheap Thrills and they'll never believe that you were there when all the magic happened at Scala.