Westside Cowboy are an English rock band formed in Manchester in 2023. The band members are Jimmy Bradbury (vocals, guitar), Reuben Haycocks (vocals, guitar), Aoife Anson O'Connell (vocals, bass) and Paddy Murphy (vocals, drums).
The band won Glastonbury's Emerging Talent Competition in 2025.
History The band formed after meeting at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. After playing in other bands - Haycocks and Murphy in a noise pop group named DieKaiDie, and Murphy and Bradbury as part of Katz, a 'three-piece surf-punk band that played so fast it ceased to exist' - they formed Westside Cowboy with O'Connell.
Bradbury chose the band's name, inspired by the early industrial revolution in New York. He told NME, "the locals didn't know what trains were, and people were getting hit by them, so to control the speed of the trains, they would have guys ride slowly on horseback in front of them, and they became known as the Westside Cowboys."
I've Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You), the band's debut single, was released on 7 November 2024, followed by Shells, Alright, Alright, Alright, and Drunk Surfer. Their debut EP, This Better Be Something Great was released on 8 August 2025 by Nice Swan Records and Heist or Hit.
They released their second extended play, So Much Country 'Till We Get There on 16 January 2026.
In 2026 Westside Cowboy supported Geese on the European leg of the Getting Killed Tour.
In May 2026 the band announced their debut album It Goes On and shared its first single Kick Stones (The Boys) alongside accompanying music video. The second single, Pin Up Boys, was released on 1 July with a music video directed by Jack Shep. The third single, Dobro, released 6 August as the final album single. The album released in full on 21 August with Island Records.
Discography Albums +List of albums released, with title and details Title Details Peak chart positions UK It Goes OnRelease date: 21 August 2026 Label: Island Formats: LP, CD, digital download, streaming 5
Extended plays +List of extended plays, with title and details Title Details This Better Be Something GreatRelease date: 8 August 2025 Label: Heist or Hit, Nice Swan Formats: LP, CD, digital download, streaming So Much Country 'Till We Get ThereRelease date: 16 January 2026 Label: Island Format: LP, CD, digital download, streaming
Singles + List of singles, showing year released Title Year Album "I've Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You)"2024 This Better Be Something Great "Shells" 2025 "Alright Alright Alright" "Drunk Surfer" "Don't Throw Rocks" So Much Country 'Till We Get There "Can't See" "Kick Stones (The Boys)" 2026 It Goes On "Pin Up Boys" "Dobro"
References