The band formed after meeting at The University of Manchester.[2] 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."[1]
"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, on Nice Swan Records. This was followed by the singles "Shells", "Alright, Alright, Alright", and "Drunk Surfer", preceding the release of their debut EP, This Better Be Something Great, on 8 August 2025.[3]
In late 2025, it was announced that Westside Cowboy would be supporting Geese on the European leg of the Getting Killed Tour.[4] They released their second extended play, So Much Country 'Till We Get There on 16 January 2026.[5]
