ShareHot off the heels of an already iconic Later… With Jools Holland performance, Pin Up Boys lands as the second single from their highly anticipated debut album It Goes On.
Beginning with Reuben Haycocks’ affecting vocals against a sparse arrangement, the fan favourite track is a rousing single from the quiet-loud school of classic indie. It showcases the quartet’s deference to, and re-imagining of, the guitar music cannon.
As with all the tracks on It Goes On, the recording is a snapshot of the song at a moment in time – organic evolution being a hallmark of their songwriting process. Pin Up Boys, explains Reuben, became “heavier and more aggro” every time they played it live; a mirror to its preoccupations with the struggles of self control.
Speaking further on the track’s origins, the band say:
“Pin Up Boys was written a year and a half ago using an acoustic guitar, a drum machine sample pad and some screwdrivers as drumsticks. It is by far the longest serving song on the album and the one that we have played the most live, which was a blessing and a curse when we came to record. After realising this song was set in its ways, we thought the recording should be a somewhat faithful version of the live performance. We hope you get something out of it.”
Westside Cowboy have always tried to focus on what unites people. Early on in the group’s life, they co-created No Band Is An Island: a Manchester-based collective putting on fundraising nights to spotlight both local artists and important issues via speakers from charities and direct action groups, and the video for the album’s lead single Kick Stones (The Boys) was shot in collaboration with activist football club FC United of Manchester.
Westside Cowboy is Reuben Haycocks (guitar, vocals), James (Jimmy) Bradbury (guitar, vocals), Aoife Anson O’Connell (bass guitar, vocals), and Paddy Murphy (drums, vocals).
TOUR DATES 2026
November
| Date | Venue |
|---|---|
| Tue 24th | St Lukes Glasgow |
| Wed 25th | NUSU Newcastle |
| Thu 26th | Crookes Social Club Sheffield |
| Fri 27th | Irish Centre Leeds |
| Sun 29th | XOYO Birmingham |
| Mon 30st | 1865 Southampton |
December
| Date | Venue |
|---|---|
| Tue 1st | Chalk Brighton |
| Wed 2nd | O2 Forum Kentish Town London |
| Fri 4th | Electric Bristol |
| Sat 5th | Albert Hall Manchester |
Tickets are now on sale