Keo follow with 'Pistol', the towering second single to be shared from their forthcoming debut album ‘Put A Smile On For Me,’

Today, Keo follow with 'Pistol', the towering second single to be shared from their forthcoming debut album ‘Put A Smile On For Me,’ arriving 25th September via Island Records.

Where previous single 'That's Me' confronted guilt head-on, 'Pistol' sits in the emotional aftermath. Built around soaring guitars and climactic dynamics, it explores the strange persistence of memory; how people, relationships and experiences continue shaping us long after they've disappeared.

LISTEN TO ‘PISTOL’ WATCH VIDEO

Simultaneously tender and blistering, ‘Pistol’ further establishes the confessional depth at the heart of Keo's debut, pairing raw alternative rock with the kind of vulnerable songwriting that's quickly becoming the band's calling card.

Speaking about their new single, Finn comments, "I had the imagery of dead stars stuck in my head when writing 'Pistol'. The idea of something having died years ago but only now seeing its light. I think that imagery can be just as real with people."

The song's title itself emerged almost by accident. Originally taken from a lyric that never made the final version, Finn couldn't bring himself to let it go. More importantly, when drummer Oli Spackman plays the opening fill, it sounds exactly like a pistol firing, an instinctive moment that became inseparable from the song's identity.

Fronted by 22-year-old Finn Keogh, Keo have rapidly evolved from London's underground live circuit into one of British alternative music's most compelling new bands. Fresh from commanding Wolf Alice's huge outdoor shows at London's Finsbury Park and Newcastle's Exhibition Park, the band continue a remarkable run that has seen sold-out headline tours, feverish word-of-mouth live shows, and the increasingly familiar sound of fans singing unreleased songs back as though they've known them for years.

Written and recorded during an intense ten-day period, ‘Put A Smile On For Me’ emerged from what Finn describes as a convergence of personal chaos; an unflinching examination of shame, accountability, memory and the uncomfortable process of recognising parts of yourself you'd rather avoid. Self-produced by Finn alongside guitarist Jimmy Lanwern, the album deliberately resists perfection, preserving every fracture, contradiction and first instinct exactly as it surfaced.

Sitting somewhere between ragged alt-rock and bruised introspection, the record draws on touches of artists including Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Radiohead while carving out a voice entirely its own. Across eleven tracks, Keo balance beauty and brutality in equal measure.

"Put A Smile On For Me’s, honesty is uncomfortable," Finn says of the album. "I don't want to see your true colours and you don't want to see mine. You smile, I'll smile, everything is fine."

That honesty has become central to Keo's rapid rise. Formed by brothers Finn and Conor Keogh alongside drummer Oli Spackman and guitarist Jimmy Lanwern, the band have built a fiercely devoted following through relentless touring and explosive live performances, earning widespread acclaim from The London Standard, Rolling Stone UK, Kerrang!, DORK, DIY, Clash, NME, Wonderland, Man About Town, and notable support from BBC Radio 1.

The release of 'Pistol' also follows the announcement of Keo's biggest UK headline tour to date, seeing the band step into significantly larger venues across the country this autumn. The response was immediate, with more than 9,000 tickets sold and the full run selling out in under 24 hours, underlining the extraordinary momentum Keo have built.

With 'Pistol', Keo continue to prove that ‘Put A Smile On For Me’ is far more than the arrival of another exciting young guitar band. It's the work of a band willing to interrogate modern masculinity, emotional accountability with remarkable honesty, wrapped inside some of the biggest, boldest guitar music Britain is producing right now.

Stay tuned for more from Keo coming very soon

Stream ‘Pistol’ Pre-Order ‘Put A Smile On For Me’

‘Put A Smile On For Me’ - Track Listing

Side A

• Be Happy
• That’s Me
• Fly
• Best I Can Do
• Bird On The Wire

Side B

• Pistol
• Loser
• Black Dress
• Blue Song
• Thorn
• Spent On You

Keo Upcoming Live Dates 2026

• Wed 15 Jul - KüçükÇiftlik Park, Istanbul, Turkey
• 17 July - Arena Open Air, Vienna, Austria
• 24 July - Tramlines Festival, Sheffield, UK
• 25 July - Latitude Festival, Southwold, UK
• 26 July - Truck Festival, Oxfordshire, UK
• 1 August - Kendal Calling, Lowther, UK
• 2 August - Y Not Festival, Derbyshire, UK
• 8 August - Boardmasters, Devon, UK
• 14 August - Winterthurer Musikfestwochen, Switzerland
• Sat 22 Aug - Lowlands Festival, Netherlands
• 28 August - Reading Festival, Reading, UK
• 29 August - Leeds Festival, Leeds, UK
• 30th August Electric Picnic, Ireland
• 17th Sept Reeperbahn Festival, Hamburg
• Sat 17 Oct - Neighbourhood Festival, Manchester, UK

Keo UK Headline Tour 2026

• 24 Oct - O2 Guildhall, Southampton (SOLD OUT)
• 25 Oct - Tramshed, Cardiff (SOLD OUT)
• 27 Oct - O2 Academy, Glasgow (SOLD OUT)
• 29 Oct - O2 Academy, Liverpool (SOLD OUT)
• 30 Oct - O2 Forum Kentish Town, London (SOLD OUT)