We talk to a band who define runaway success: Westside Cowboy

LL: 2025 was a pretty big year for Westside Cowboy, but 2026 may arguably be the most pivotal yet. How are you guys doing and how is handling the dream coming true?

Aoife: It's been great, lots of change alongside not being at home but that is paired with seeing amazing places and having the privilege of playing to people from all over so we have really enjoyed ourselves while trying to make the most out of it all as we're always just waiting for the rug to be pulled from under us. We just are extremely grateful for everything and everyone being so nice to us.

It's also so cool that we have had the opportunity to meet our favourite artists ... that sometimes is extremely surreal. It was just the other day that we were playing a festival in Germany and Black Country New Road was there alongside Horsegirl, people that we love so much and we ended up having a beer with and playing football. It's the moments like that which I have to take a moment to process as it doesn't feel like five minutes ago we were watching them on YouTube ... In the same way you're never really taught about taxes, you're never prepared for these things but it's the experience that gradually allows you to learn.

What does the release of It Goes On mean to you?

Aoife: It has all been exciting. I never thought in my life that I would be making an album, I just thought it was a cool thing people did. I think the boys have always intended on doing this but it is all extremely awesome. It was just yesterday that we picked up a vinyl, CD and cassette of It Goes On and that has been a highlight as we are all big fans and advocates of physical media. Just to hold the thing that we would buy in a shop and allow it to become a real thing is extremely amazing.

Reuben: I think as well that the three songs we picked as singles, especially Kick Stones, have given the music a new lease of life. I think we are better at playing it and we understand the songs more now that it has also been recorded and we get where it is meant to go and have actually ended up really enjoying playing it. Especially now that people know the lyrics and sing along as that has been the ultimate goal.

We have been doing it for a while ... It has been a gradual process and the EPs have been test runs of what we like, who we are and where we want to go as a band. It all culminates into a body of work that we are all extremely proud of and very representative of who we are and what we wanted to make. Just the other day we were in discussion about getting tattoos as an emblem of our friendship and unity as a band but we came to the conclusion that actually this album, to us, the members, is representative of the past three years, good and bad. It means a lot to us beyond the songs. The fact that we have this vinyl record that we can hold symbolises the past three years of our lives.

How are you feeling about the record store tour given that after all these huge festival slots and bright light stages, you’ll be pushed back into an intimate environment?

We are extremely excited as we started off playing in Paddy’s [vocals and drums] bedroom which was a rubbish student house in which you could make as much noise as possible. Creating the noise of a regular practice room was great but then the second house which Paddy and Reuben moved into was in a much more residential area which limited the sound and volume we could make. Paddy ended up having to play with brushes, kick and a snare and we all started playing through tiny amps as opposed to our gig sized ones and it ended up being a lot of fun. A lot of songs on the album ended up coming out of that environment and I think these in-store record shows are re-birthing that.

When we were demoing the album we did an acoustic take and then we did a full band version so when we went in to do the album we would be able to find a sound somewhere in the middle. For the next year people will be seeing the full band version but these in-store shows give us a chance to display the other side of the spectrum with the album acting as the middle part.

After that comes your largest headline tour to date! What can we expect that is different from the record store tour?

Each night is going to be different in how we deliver the show. Some nights we will be flawless and other nights we will be a little ropey but that is the beauty of live performance and a big reason why we keep our ticket prices so low. We are still fresh and we want to be great value for money but regardless, each show will be an authentic, full effort Westside Cowboy gig. 

There will be longer sets including more songs than we usually play and a phenomenal support act, Wyatt, who are also from Manchester and we have had the honour of watching take over the world. We saw them on one of their first gigs and now they have additional members that bring so much to their already amazingly written songs. We just find it so cool to show off people who are doing amazingly cool things. So be sure to come early! It will also help us play to our full potential too as they are a tough act to follow.

How was meeting Elton and being featured on Rocket Hour?

We had absolutely no idea we were being played ... One parent found out and word spread, it was just ridiculous. This is no insult to all the legends we have met but Elton John feels like the entity you would just never meet or be able to speak to, he just feels like a mythical figure. We were just told that we had a call, we answered and Elton was there, he was just so lovely. He was just so nice.

We went into it thinking he was this god-like figure but he came across so genuine and normal which was so refreshing. He was also in this bejeweled necklace and looked phenomenal. That seems to be general rule with every icon that we have met, they’re all just so lovely.

After the interview we had a deep dive into Elton and realised he is a figure that is doing it on a level like no other. He has quite literally done everything you can do to create a mammoth career and to still be interested in music the way he is is incredible. He approached his career through all the right paths and now he is passing the gift onto younger generations. He doesn't have to listen to a band of four 23-year-olds, but the fact he does is truly lovely.

Reflecting on how far you have come, what unique advice would you give aspiring musicians who want to be the same?

Reuben: We have always said that we don't feel that we should be giving advice but if we were pushed we would say that the only way music is worthwhile is if it's fun. If you take it too seriously and the end goal is the only thing you think of there is no point in it. It is a cliché that the journey is the goal but if I wasn’t doing this with my friends, I wouldn’t be living the life we are living nor do I think we would have gotten to this place at all. Everything clicked and everything worked instantly and there is a difference between knowing what you should do and solidifying it into your life.

I always knew I should be in a band with people I love and I knew I would be entering a life surrounded by music but I never really believed it until Westside Cowboy started.

You will never make anything you hate if it is done with the people you love.

@westsidecowboyyy

It Goes On is now out on all streaming services and physical copies are available to purchase online. Westside Cowboy will also be performing two shows at Rough Trade Nottingham on 3 September - more details here.