Westside Cowboy's 'It Goes On' Marks a Confident Evolution
Westside Cowboy's debut album sheds some country influences for tightly wound indie rock with sharp songwriting. The Manchester group's music captures their growing confidence, blending energetic guitar work with anxious reflections on adulthood.
The album was recorded and mixed in Leeds with producer Loren Humphrey, whose prior credits include Cameron Winter's "Heavy Metal" and the band's own 2026 EP "So Much Country 'Till We Get There." Westside Cowboy previously won the 2025 Glastonbury Emerging Talent Award, and their early live sets were built around compact, concert-ready tracks written while opening for larger acts.
The band's earlier EPs, including "This Better Be Something Great," introduced their self-described "Britainicana" style, blending country touches like steel resonator guitar and violin with pummeling drums and four-part harmonies. Members Aoife O'Connell and Reuben Haycocks share vocal duties, with Haycocks delivering the album's more anxious reflections on adulthood and environmental damage.
The album could resonate with young adult listeners navigating similar anxieties about adulthood and environmental responsibility, offering a soundtrack for a generation feeling paralyzed by uncertainty. Its stripped-back production and raw live energy may also influence emerging indie bands seeking authenticity over polish. As a major-label debut from a Glastonbury-recognized act, it could help shape the current indie rock landscape, potentially steering the genre away from heavier production toward more direct, emotionally candid songwriting.