Manchester quartet Westside Cowboy have released their new single, “Pin Up Boys,” following its premiere yesterday evening as BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Track in the World. The track is the second single to be taken from their highly anticipated debut album, It Goes On, which is scheduled for release on August 21st, 2026, via Island Records. To support the release, the band has announced a series of limited instore record store performances, with tickets going on sale today
The single arrives on the heels of a performance on Later… With Jools Holland. Driven by Reuben Haycocks’ distinct vocals set against an initially sparse arrangement, “Pin Up Boys” quickly builds into a rousing, loud-quiet indie anthem. The track has long been a fixture of the band’s live sets, having originally been written 18 months ago using an acoustic guitar, a drum machine sample pad, and screwdrivers for drumsticks.
On the single, the band describe
‘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.
The track was produced by Loren Humphrey (Geese, Wunderhorse) at Greenmount Studios in Leeds as part of an 11-track record aimed at capturing the confusion, desperation, and hope of youth. Accompanying the release is a music video directed by SNL UK star Jack Shep, which utilises a fixed, malevolent spotlight chasing a protagonist to mirror the song’s live dynamism and theme of struggling for self-control.
Following a summer festival run that includes slots at Latitude, Green Man, and Reading and Leeds, Westside Cowboy will embark on their largest headline tour to date this autumn and winter, featuring major shows at London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town and Manchester’s Albert Hall.
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