Brighton grit-pop duo snake eyes have a manifesto that reads less like a mission statement and more like a rallying cry for surviving modern life: don’t be a prick, share the love, no music on a dead planet, let’s have a damn boogie. It’s blunt, heartfelt, and pretty much the perfect entry point into their debut album ‘cash rich,’ out 6 March 2026 via Alcopop! Records.
Formed in 2020 at the height of lockdown chaos, snake eyes began as a creative lifeline — something to cling to when everything else felt frozen. Five years on, that spark has grown into a fully realised debut that feels lived-in, road-tested, and lovingly overcooked in the best possible way. ‘cash rich’ isn’t rushed. It’s the sound of a band taking their time, trusting their instincts, and waiting until the moment felt right.
Packed with lo-fi, fuzz-drenched gems that race, stomp, and soar, the album distills years of practice room sweat and relentless touring into a tight, punchy statement. Songs were written, dropped, reworked, and revived across half a decade — a slow-burn process drummer Thomas Lisle Coe-Brooker describes as deliberate and necessary.
“We’ve been slowly curating the album since releasing the Skeletons EP in lockdown,” he explains. “Tracks were dropped and added over the years until it felt good. It really represents the first five years of our band. I wanted us to tour loads and feel like there was an audience who actually wanted an album — not just release something that falls on deaf ears.”
That honesty runs deep through snake eyes’ DNA. At their core, they’re a blueprint for modern UK underground survival: two friends, doing everything themselves, staying (mostly) positive, and pushing forward on a shoestring budget.
“We don’t always stay posi, to tell the truth,” admits guitarist and vocalist Jim Heffy. “That’s why it’s important to spread positivity through the music and the live shows. We want to bring joy into people’s day — a big old hug for your eyes and ears.”
Unlike plenty of bands who smooth over the struggle to present a polished version of success, snake eyes have always been upfront about the financial and emotional realities of being independent artists.
“You have to put everything into it, including your own money,” says Heffy. “You’ve got to do it for the love of the game — and that’s what we do it for.”
Brooker agrees, adding, “Anyone can do it if they’re willing to put the work in, but it’s also important to be honest about what you’re getting into. It’s not for the faint of heart.”
That DIY ethos extends straight into the studio. The band chose to self-produce ‘cash rich’ to maintain full creative control. Drums, bass, and guitar were tracked live at Brighton Electric Studio 1 with Josh Harrison (Snayx, Royal Blood), before overdubs and vocals were captured at The Bookhouse in London with Tom Hill (John, Gender Roles, The None).
“We got real nerdy with it,” laughs Heffy. “Different amps, pedals, snares for different songs — we took the time to get everything sounding exactly right.”
Extra layers — backing vocals, percussion, vinyl scratching, even pump organ — were recorded wherever and whenever possible: at home, in hotel rooms while Brooker toured the US as a videographer, or in his own office-studio where the band also shoot most of their videos.
“We didn’t want to just pad things out with virtual instruments,” Brooker explains. “If we used them, they were layered with live parts. Sometimes we didn’t know who to ask to do something… so we just learned how to do it ourselves.”
That meant learning to scratch vinyl DJ-style, bowing acoustic guitars to mimic string sections, and even tag-teaming a pump organ — Jim on keys, Brooker on the foot pedal. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” he laughs.
Mixing duties were shared too: Tom Hill mixed standout track Hug Me (then all the full-band songs), while Brooker handled Cash Rich and Robot Boy. The album was mastered by Dan Coutant (Drug Church, Lemuria, Gnarwolves), a longtime collaborator who, according to the band, “always does a beautiful job.”
Juggling all of that comes at a cost. “Sometimes I forget I’m also the drummer,” Brooker admits. “It’s creatively fulfilling, but totally all-consuming. Lots of all-nighters. I’m trying to get better at knowing when to stop — and when to ask for help.”
Lyrically, ‘cash rich’ is what the band call “a collection of doomsday foot-tappers for our fellow hippies.” It tackles environmental collapse, self-belief, anxiety, heartbreak — heavy themes wrapped in songs that still make you want to move.
“There’s a tune about headaches. A tune about confidence. A tune about having your wee heart broken,” says Heffy. “Older tracks like ‘Jar Full of Wasps’ and ‘Slugs’ are pretty introspective. As the world opened back up and we started touring, the writing zoomed out to the bigger picture.”
That bigger picture includes activism. snake eyes are vocal supporters of Music Declares Emergency, Music Venue Trust, and other grassroots campaigns fighting to protect the future of live music.
“Music’s been my life since I learned ‘Nothing Else Matters’ at 14,” says Brooker. “The idea of young people not having local venues is bleak. That, alongside my passion for veganism and the environment, makes these causes really personal.”
“We’re a pair of tree-hugging softies,” adds Heffy. “Environmentalism and equality matter to us. We try to tour sustainably and use our platform for positive change. We mean what we say.”
Despite the seriousness behind much of the record, ‘cash rich’ is bursting with humour, warmth, and colour — a balance that makes snake eyes so easy to fall for.
“Life’s serious enough,” says Heffy. “We take the band seriously, but it’s got to be tongue-in-cheek too. We want to be a ray of sunshine. A burst of colour. People should leave our shows smiling.”
Over the past year, the band’s shift to a lean two-piece live setup has only sharpened that vision.
“I now have two million pedals and play bass too,” Heffy laughs. “But press shots are easier, hotels are cheaper, and it’s pushed us creatively. We’re at the top of our game live right now.”
That confidence has been earned the hard way, touring relentlessly across the UK and Europe alongside The Meffs, Dune Rats, You Me At Six, Kid Kapichi, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Bad Nerves, Wine Lips, and The Xcerts.
“As soon as lockdown lifted, we came out swinging,” says Heffy. “We’ve made lifelong friends. Everyone’s out there doing the same thing, and it feels like a growing community. We’re chomping at the bit to get back out there.”
With ‘cash rich,’ snake eyes deliver a debut that’s scrappy, sincere, politically awake, and joyfully human — proof that you can fight the doom, hug your mates, and still have a damn boogie.
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