Rootin' Tootin': Westside Cowboy Live At The Bodega

Words: Tom Gensler

Photography: Isla Edmunds

Westside Cowboy are one of the UK music scene’s fastest rising acts. Noted for

emotional yet precise songwriting, jagged and soaring guitar riffs, with a country feel at

times, they have a very well crafted identity that’s resounding, earning them big industry

acclaim. They released their debut EP, This Better Be Something Great, in the early days

of last August, to widespread positive reviews, and have just released their sophomore EP,

So Much Country ‘Till We Get There, in January, again to widespread positivity. These

recordings are fantastic and definitely prove them to be of note, showing big promise and

astounding musical creativity with a deep, caring, love of the craft. However, the four-piece

are made for the stage, simply put. Their music is made to move and dance and sweat to.

There’s such honesty to the music, even in the modest and extremely potent

instrumentation, that really rings through, especially in the live setting. It's so impressive

how they’ve cultivated such a committed and loving audience already, for such a young

band, whilst still retaining such a good musical output and feel. They’ve embarked on a

landmark UK headline tour, as part of the EP cycle, claiming a slot at Nottingham’s

legendary Bodega, where we caught them, with brilliant support from Nottingham’s own

Pict.

Pict were not supposed to be playing. I think that’s really important to note. Holly Head

were on the bill. The crowd had gone to see Westside Cowboy with Holly Head,

and not Westside Cowboy with Pict. There was confusion in the crowd, most definitely, but

that dissolved the very second Pict took to the stage. Pict are Nottingham’s premium folk-indie-fusion cult outfit, fronted by the tall, charismatic and intense Zach Thrasher. I think though, that the stars really aligned for them, as the crowd absolutely loved them in everything they did, which for a support is brilliant, but for a last minute support is incredible. The band boast a stylish and intoxicating indie-folk feel, with Zach’s theatrical vocals and performance elements really ringing throughout. It's a joy to see. The whole band are completely on point, providing really beautiful sonic energy and then pushing it into new spaces with elements like trumpets, harmonies and even vocal fry parts at times. There’s a whimsical joy to the band, an appreciation of the stage time but also a knowledge of their own ability. Their songs feature an artsy energy, with chill acoustic vibes that evolve into thought-evocative, intense and powerful sounds. There’s a certain retro feel to the band, and I can’t quite put my finger on it. There’s guitar and vocal elements of Nick Drake and 70s acosutic folk, in a way, but with these striking lines and moments and build-ups, and the band even employ the vocal round in parts, which is a joy to see. These guys get music, and they know what they want to make and how they want to play it, making for a thoroughly enjoyable set. If you're around the Nottingham ways, I would definitely catch these.

The Bodega’s crowd is prepared, heavily anticipating the Britannica pioneers. There’s

such a positive atmosphere in the room, one wholly cultivated by the band, that is

intangible but very present. The band have a big impact even when they aren’t on the

stage; just the thought of seeing them in moments is exciting. There’s this feeling, this

foresight, of huge things in the future for the band that drives love, support and excitement,

and there’s this knowledge that if they are this good now, with this support and fandom and

backing, they’ll be interstellar soon. This gig very much feels like seeing a band on the

teetering edge of stardom.

The band take to the stage, smiling and content, yet not showy or smug. It's very

obvious they appreciate the stage greatly, and that they greatly appreciate the fact the

room is a complete sell out. They should be used to it by now, the full rooms and the love,

and I think they are, but there’s this buzzing in the faces of the band that tells

you that they’re about to pull out all the stops in the next 45 minutes. It's reassuring.

They begin, as always, with a cover of the instrumental Midnight Cowboy, before

dissolving into the resounding group cry of “WESTSIDE COWBOY”, and then promptly

tearing into I've Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met You). This is

arguably their flagship song, their popular mainstay and most people’s intro to the band.

Starting with it is a very bold choice, but the raw one-two punch of the instrumental intro

into this is simply dazzling, there’s a confidence to playing what most people see as their

biggest song, their sonic manifesto, first. As far as I can tell, they’ve played this at the front

of their set for a while now, if not forever, and the way it both sets up what’s to come

extremely well and shows their talent and promise and musical direction is fantastic.

One thing that’s very notable about Westside Cowboy is their set-listing craft. Honestly,

it's not something that comes to mind often, but the most of the set I was thinking about

just how good the pacing and balance and audible attack of the songs were. It's things like

this that set them apart for me, and it really shows just how much love and attention they

pour into their jangly, cowboy, indie craft.

The first half of their set is just hit after hit after hit, nearly all taken from their two EPs,

letting them win over the crowd, not that they needed to at all, with released tunes and

then playing some more sonically expansive newer ones, demonstrating a careful and

tentative nuance in how they present the songs. They storm through the sublime Alright

Alright Alright, with its fast early-2000s-evoking indie intro, which quickly changes into a

somewhat rootin' tootin' traditional country verse. The versatility of the band and how they

play these songs and show these changes is brilliant. There’s a very organised chaos to

their music, one that adds to the energy but also allows them to really show their talent.

Everything sounds bright, fast and pacey, and it all just goes so well together. The

rhythm is extremely consistent and entirely supportive of the vocals and lyrics whilst not

drawing too much away from itself, whilst the brightest and sonic weight of the guitars is

just right, tearing into the air whilst being extremely easy to listen to, and not piercing or

too high or having awful feedback moments. There’s a beautiful nuance to the anarchy in

their sound.

Straight after Alright Alright Alright, they belt out Can’t See, which is honestly a

massive high point of the excellent set. Can’t See - when I first heard it - showed a slightly

different side of the band to me, one that draws slightly away from the country influence

but pushes them into a jangly indie realm, and it really suits them. The vocals are

pronounced and striking, fully pushed into the air by the music. The songwriting across the

board is great too, but here it really stands out, favouring emotion and reality, and it works

for them. A truly fantastic song, in every way.

They have some fantastic unreleased songs too, and it annoys me that a) they aren’t

out there and b) I can’t even find the titles. One of them features a part where all three

vocalists chime in with “it goes on and on and on” altogether, and it's really special, and

again, on some of these songs they really do cut into that early 2000s indie space, with elements of Air Traffic and The Strokes to their sound. Some of these songs feel like they're

taken from the The Inbetweeners soundtrack, and it's fantastic. There’s a comforting nostalgia to their songs and sound, even if you're not too familiar with them, and I’m not familiar with their unreleased catalogue, so to evoke this feeling is very special. Again, these guys are at the top of what they do and show such love of the craft in every note and every beat.

However, there was one song that really shone, for me. That is The Wahs, taken from

their latest EP. From the intro, the trademark controlled chaos is there yet there’s

something more to it, there’s a drive, deep down in the song, that pushes it into a powerful

space. Their music is meant for the stage, for the live rooms, and this song shows it.

The lyrics are resounding and emotional and beautifully strained and powerful, and the chorus is fuelled by the band’s harmonies and togetherness. That’s another beautiful thing about Westside Cowboy; their music is fuelled and powered by the idea and the effect of being together. The four members combine to create something truly special in everything they do. It's very very impressive, especially for such a young band.

They end, as always, with the drummer coming to the front of the stage and the band

all sharing a microphone, with the drummer clutching a snare and a stick, to play In the

Morning, their flagship closer. This is the most country they get. There’s an aged feeling to

most of their music but it's very present here in the best way, it feels like it's been

passed down through generations and played on porches with resonator guitars by

prospectors, or slung around in a saloon whilst a dodgy poker game is going on. It's very

inspiring, just how postmodern they are. They combine indie and country sensibilities and

fuse them into their own brand of music, Britannica; it's truly unique and really special.

Overall, this was a truly spellbinding and sonically transformative evening of music.

Westside Cowboy are about to be that band; they’re about to go interstellar, and so the

opportunity to see them in this pretty sweaty room just before they rocket off into the wider

musical stardom they’re set for is amazing. The intimate setting suits them so well, taking

their sound and shoving it straight into people’s minds, the way it should be. The twangy

guitars and sharp lyrics and powerful structuring makes them truly intoxicating and

inspiring, and I really can’t recommend seeing them enough. These cowboys have got

massive rodeos waiting for them, and I was certainly sad to see them ride off into the

sunset of the Bodega staircase.