Saddle up with Sweden's Ruby Empress on “Lonesome Cowboy”

Ruby Empress are a band that exist in a world a million miles away from indie kids afraid of looking away from their shoes. The Gothenburg trio have made being visually striking part of their vibe, and “Lonesome Cowboy” shows that musically they’ve also got a healthy dress-up box to hand.

The airy synth-pop elegance of the song, combined with its sashaying kick, calls Phoenix to mind instantly. It’s also a low-key hit – without you really noticing, it slides its way right into your brain.

Singer Tom Serner says: “'Lonesome Cowboy' is a song about procrastination while dwelling in possibility, and the guilt trip derived from feelings that you’re not giving enough in the pursuit of your dreams. But it’s also a hopeful song about accepting that time takes time when you’re paving your own way in life. You got to learn to take the good with the bad and ‘Saddle up and ride, you lonesome cowboy.’”