Share this article Share
You can’t plan for everything. When Jimmy Bradbury asked Reuben Haycocks, Paddy Murphy and Aoife Anson-O’Connell if they fancied starting a band called Westside Cowboy, none of them had a plan. A couple of years, a clutch of singles, a killer live reputation and a deal with Island Records’ Adventure Recordings later, they’ve become one of the UK’s most exciting new acts.
The four members met in Manchester. Reuben (guitar, vocals), Paddy (drums) and Aoife (bass, vocals) were music students, and Jimmy (guitar, vocals) worked at Johnny Roadhouse after graduating. Their earlier projects had grown too complex and draining, so Westside Cowboy arrived at the right time. Inspired by Billy Bragg’s Roots, Radicals and Rockers, they embraced a DIY spirit and wrote their debut EP This Better Be Something Great in just two weeks. Songs like ‘Alright Alright Alright’ and ‘I Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You)’ captured a raw, joyful energy.
Their sound, “Britainicana”, blends classic British songwriting (The La’s, Lonnie Donegan, Lennon) with American alt-rock (Pavement, The Replacements, Pixies). Early gigs in Manchester built buzz fast. Demos spread, labels took notice, and they signed with Nice Swan and Heist or Hit. Produced by Lewis Whiting (English Teacher), the EP’s release in 2025 followed breakout sets at The Great Escape and Glastonbury, leading to tours with Blondshell, Black Country, New Road and Ezra Furman.
Alongside their rise, they co-founded No Band Is An Island, a collective uniting indie artists for political and social action. “It’s about building community and using it positively,” says Aoife. The project channels their frustration with global injustices into collective accountability rather than nihilism.
In just two years, Westside Cowboy have gone from a spontaneous idea to a major-label act. Humble but driven, they aim to make music “for everyone”, not just for cool scenes, but for parents, grandparents and kids alike.
For a band that started without a plan, Westside Cowboy have quickly worked out exactly who they are.