Live Review: Barn on the Farm Festival 2022

After two years away from my favourite place on Earth, to say that I was excited to return to Barn on the Farm this summer would be a massive understatement. Over the years it’s become such an integral part of the calendar, like Christmas, that having summers without it due to Covid felt like missing a limb. Still clutching on to my original 2020 ticket, stepping back onto Over Farm at long last felt like coming home. But after struggling through two years of pandemic upheaval, and with the dizzying highs of their stellar ten-year anniversary being a tough act to follow, expectations were high. Continue reading

Best Albums of the 2010s (#50-26)

albums1It’s the dawning of a new decade, and as such we have a chance to look back not just on the past year of music, but the past ten years! Compiling the 50 most defining, moving, engaging, singular, exhilarating, influential and inspirational albums of the 2010s has been Belwood’s most challenging endeavour ever, not least because we limited it to one album per act. At long last however, we have our list: Continue reading

Belwood Music Awards 2017

belwood awardsSo here we are, another year over and a chance to look back on all that 2017 has brought us. Thank you to all of you that have supported Belwood this past year; our readers, industry colleagues and all the wonderfully talented bands and artists that have shared their music. Before we look forward to all that 2018 has to offer, lets take a moment to cherish some of the most memorable music from the past twelve months: Continue reading

Top Ten Albums of 2017

top ten albumsIt’s that time of year again where we look back on all the amazing music the past twelve months have given us and gather together the ten highest rated albums on the site in 2017. This has been the closest year yet for albums, and with some Belwood favourites like Algiers and Wolf Alice missing out on the top ten, it’s also been a year that has offered its fair share of surprises.  Continue reading

Interview: Amber Run

AMBER RUN_ HIGH RES_ DAH_1934-2Belwood favourites Amber Run have had one hell of a year. Their new album For A Moment, I Was Lost somehow surpassed their stunning debut with the greatest of ease, and secured them a place in my mind as the touchstone of gold standard indie rock. It saw them explore a more mature sound, and showcased the band firing on all cylinders. Following on from their incredible record, and in between their busy tour schedule, they’ve somehow found time to record a new acoustic EP. I had a quick chat to frontman Joe Keogh about the band’s whirlwind year:  Continue reading

Live Review: Barn on the Farm Festival 2017

DSCN0562My favourite weekend of the year, bar none, has sadly been and gone. But in its wake it has left behind memories that will stay with me for many more years to come. The line-up for 2017 was a curious one. Though it was lauded as their most ambitious to date, there weren’t actually that many names I was familiar with. While previous festivals had gathered together some of my favourite up-and-coming artists, 2017 was all about adding new names to that list… as well as checking in with a couple of old favourites of course! I wandered around the pastoral paradise clutching my programme like some racing punter following his gut; the key difference being that Barn on the Farm kept up the trend of providing nothing but winners.  Continue reading

Live Review: Amber Run, The Plug Sheffield, 18th Feb 2017

amber-run-sheffield

Photo by Lewis Marchant

There are some concerts that we simply go to on a whim, some that we have planned for ages in advance, and every so often a band comes along that you would drop everything to go and see. Having missed out twice already on seeing Amber Run, seeing the lads up-close and in their element was already long overdue. They have long been my white whale, the one that got away. However, with their new album For A Moment, I  Was Lost surpassing all expectations and launching headlong into contention for album of the year, there was no power in heaven or Earth that would stop me from catching them on their latest UK tour. I made my way to their gig in Sheffield for what was sure to be a night to remember.  Continue reading