On November 21, 2011, Spektor posted on her Facebook page that the album had been recorded with Mike Elizondo in Los Angeles during the summer of 2011.

[2] It was featured prominently on the episode of the CW's Ringer that aired on March 13, 2012, making Spektor the "Artist Spotlight" of the week.

To promote the album, Spektor performed on the Late Show with David Letterman, Good Morning America, The Colbert Report, and VH1; did an interview with The New York Times; and did a special "Live on YouTube" engagement.

[13] A staff reviewer for Sputnikmusic gave the album the maximum 5 out of 5 stars, writing that it is Spektor's "best effort yet," and that "an artist who could already seemingly do no wrong went and became even more perfect.

"[16] American Songwriter wrote that "Cheap Seats as a whole [...] points toward ever unfolding new directions for an artist whose sense of whimsy never excludes the possibility of real-world despair.