CARDBOARD CUTOUTS Embrace Individuality On New Single ‘Cheap Shirt’

Following a triumphant 2025 culminating in their debut album ‘Politics and Footy Tips’, regional Queenslanders Cardboard Cutouts today return with their new single Cheap Shirt.

Written after a negative experience in Townsville during their regional tour last year, frontman Eliot Argus reflects: “We were heckled and called a bunch of slurs on the street. It was something that we hadn’t really experienced before as a unit, and was pretty confronting! We wrote this song as a bit of an F U to that situation and the type of people that are so bold with poor behaviour. It is a song for our people. People who aren’t afraid of being who they want to be and owning themselves for who they are despite outside noise.”

Cardboard Cutouts’ debut album showcased their knack for creating music that cleverly balances strong melodic hooks with complex musicianship, taking songs from soaring, singalong-worthy choruses into surprising genre-blending twists and turns. On Cheap Shirt, the band retains this signature charm while embracing a compelling pop influence, with Eliot’s earnest and distinctly Australian vocal ringing bright and confident.

It’s a song that will be a welcome addition to the band’s heartfelt and exhilarating live shows, which have seen the band build a strong sense of community and connect with audiences across the country, from their days playing high school events to sharing stages with the likes of Grinspoon’s Phil Jamieson, Greta Stanley, Vera Blue, Concrete Surfers and more.

Last year, the band played over 25 shows throughout Australia, including their first ticketed headline shows, and an extensive regional headline tour that finished up with a sold out hometown crowd. They also supported US heavyweights Origami Angel and Michael Cera Palin, as well as Australiana-folk favourite Suzi. Their debut album proved to resonate with audiences and tastemakers alike, having garnered support from triple j and Unearthed, plus Spotify playlisting, extensive community radio play, and praise from the likes of Happy Mag, HEAVY, The Pitch of Discontent, Sounds of Oz and more.