Shame (stylised in all lowercase as shame) are a British five-piece post-punk band from South London. Formed in 2014, the group consists of lead vocalist Charlie Steen, guitarists Eddie Green and Sean Coyle-Smith, bassist Josh Finerty, and drummer Charlie Forbes. They are affiliated with the Windmill scene in their native Brixton, along with other South London post-punk bands such as Black Midi and Squid.
Signed to Dead Oceans, the band's debut album Songs of Praise was released on 12 January 2018. This was followed by Drunk Tank Pink on 15 January 2021, which debuted at number eight on the UK Albums Chart. The band's third album Food for Worms was released on 24 February 2023. The band released their fourth album Cutthroat on 5 September 2025. The group has received positive reviews from publications including NME, Paste, and Clash.
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History
Shame originated at Queen's Head pub in Brixton, where Charlie Forbes' dad coined the term for the band's name.The band began writing music while still in secondary school, producing their 2014 EP Gone Fisting, and started recording their first album in their early twenties.
Shame released their debut album, Songs of Praise, on 12 January 2018 through Dead Oceans. The record holds an aggregated score of 83 based on 20 reviews. The album spent two weeks on the U.K. Albums Chart and peaked at No. 32. The performance of the album would lead to the band's first main stage spot at a major festival, when they performed at Reading and Leeds on 26 August later that year.
In late January 2020, NME reported that Shame was working on their second studio album and that recording had been completed. On 18 November 2020, the band confirmed that their second studio album, entitled Drunk Tank Pink, would come out 15 January 2021, a little more than three years after their debut album. In December 2020, shame released the single "Snow Day" with an accompanying visualiser.
In November 2022, the band announced their third album accompanied with a new single "Fingers of Steel", followed by later tracks "Six-Pack" and "Adderall" prior to the album's release. The album, Food for Worms, was released on 24 February 2023.The band performed at the Glastonbury Festival on 24 June that year, with a setlist including songs from the new album.
Shame released their fourth studio album, Cutthroat, on 5 September 2025.
Members
Charlie Steen – lead vocalist
Eddie Green – guitarist
Sean Coyle-Smith – guitarist
Josh Finerty – bassist
Charlie Forbes – drummer
