Dylan and Eilish are the 30-something Scranton couple that make up the popular, local club DJ duo, Cowgirl Pills (The name? — Literally a botched Google search that just kind of stuck). They met on a social app a few years back and bonded over a mutual indifference to corporate marketing and sales gigs and their love for gaming, sushi, music and spreading infectious joy via eclectic mixes, enigmatic bass drops and trance-inducing beats.

But it all had to start somewhere else. For Eilish, a local swim coach, that somewhere else was the neighborhoods and playgrounds of South Wilkes-Barre. The E.L Meyers grad grew up with an affinity for sports and a budding encyclopedic knowledge of pop music. She made the jump to New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology. And if that 4-year, big city education taught her anything, it was that she missed the trees and mountains and driving a car. So, she came home.

Dylan is a Scranton kid through and through. He grew up in the Hill Section and gradually moved north to Bull’s Head. He was a bit academic growing up – straight As, honor roll and all that. After finishing up at Scranton High, he bounced around. Throw in a little bit of college, some sales and cold-calling and a growing disdain for office work and you got someone with a dream of making something for himself.

And somewhere between the old version of the American dream and the budding, post-pandemic “hustle” culture, these two found each other. They bonded, found a place in Scranton and adopted a Springer Spaniel/Mini Poodle mix (his name is Cowboy). And they began chasing joy and happiness through music.

We caught up with Dylan and Eilish of Cowgirl Pills at one of their favorite places in the whole world, Khlovan’s Thrift. And while they explained the odd journey to becoming a beloved local DJ duo, they also took on the tough ones, like Why NEPA?

 

How long have you lived in NEPA?

Eilish: My whole life minus four years at college.

Dylan: Forever, I guess.

What do you love about your town?

Eilish: We have so many cool stores and restaurants. You can see it here in Scranton that people are really trying to build something amazing. They’re trying to get people out to do cool things and to bring people downtown.

Dylan: Yeah. Especially in doing what we do. We’ve met so many people who are just trying to make a go of it in the same way that we are where they’re just like, “I wanna’ do something cool and fun for other people and as long as I can eat and pay my rent, that’s alright.”

What’s your favorite NEPA restaurant?

Eilish: My gut is just saying Gerry’s in South Wilkes-Barre. It’s the best. It’s just so good. So, Gerry’s or there’s this sushi place in Olyphant called Aki – so good. Probably the best.

Dylan: Oh, Aki is such a good answer! For me, maybe Hooked on State Street if I’m going to get a little fancy. And honestly, Halal Kennedy Fried Chicken in the Keyser Oak Plaza in Scranton. Really, there’s probably about a half dozen different Halal food trucks that I cycle through locally, so they don’t start to worry about me. Falafel over rice with extra hot sauce – that’s my go-to.

What’s your favorite thing to do in NEPA?

Eilish: It definitely feels like we spend a lot of time at the dog parks. That’s a big one for us. Or we like to go to Nay Aug Park with Cowboy. He loves it there.

Dylan: We also go to a lot of shows locally. We love checking out all of the local musicians and other DJs. We also love thrift shopping. Khlovan’s here is one of our favorite places to be. And when we’re home, it’s pretty much playing video games together or watching TV.

What’s next for you?

Eilish: I don’t know. Hopefully, I’ll be teaching soon. I mean I want to keep DJ-ing, of course. I don’t know if it’s something that I’d really want to blow up and become this big thing.  We’re having so much fun with it, and that’s kind of why I love doing it. I think my main goal, right now, is to be doing things that are fun and bring joy into someone’s life.

Dylan: I love what we’re doing. And it keeps getting bigger. I hope that has some staying power. I hope those numbers keep going up. I’m having the time of my life, and I want to experience all the good and even the bad that comes with it. I haven’t seen a ceiling for it all yet, and I guess that’s pretty good.

Where do you see NEPA heading in the future?

Eilish: I feel like in Scranton and Wilkes-Barre it feels like they are investing a lot into building up their downtowns again. I think the pandemic hit a lot of our towns pretty hard, and it’s great to see them all bouncing back in this way. I hope we can continue that trend in a big way. People want to get out. They want to go out and have fun, and I think our downtowns realize that and they’re working hard toward that goal. It’s really inspiring to witness.

Dylan: I think overall, I feel positive about where we’re heading. I see a lot of people with a lot of passion, and that’s what makes things happen. People I’ve met over the last year or so just want to see cool things happening. And, really, there’s always something fun going on. You just have to look for it. I also think if that train project happens, that would be huge for us and it would bring a lot more investment in our downtown areas.

Why NEPA?

Eilish: I feel so connected here. It’s where I grew up. I care about this place a lot. And I want it to kind of always be the same, but not, you know? I mean I want it to grow and change for the better, but I want it to always be that great place to live and to grow up. I had an awesome childhood here. And I hope other kids feel that way as well, and that they can look back on it the same way when they grow up. There’s so much to do. We have so much going on here. If you’re bored, step outside. There’s something out there for you to do and to enjoy.

Dylan: Everywhere else I’ve ever gone just feels like a cheap ripoff of Scranton. You know? You’re in the West Village like the sushi here is the same I can get at Aki. It comes from the same boats, the same ocean – it just costs like $5 more per roll.