If you are not quite sure who Amber Run are, don’t feel too bad. Just hear what I have to say and take my word that they are a band that, after reading this, you should go off and discover further for yourself, and I am extremely confident that in doing so, it will be a decision you will want to thank me for (and I will be happy to receive any thanks).
Amber Run have an extremely special and incredibly unique sound that when listening to live, simply overwhelms you and can completely take you into another place. That is exactly how I felt standing in Brighton’s beach side venue Concorde 2 on day one of The Great Escape 2014 Festival. As soon as vocalist Joe Keogh sung his first word, everyone at Concorde 2 became silent and in absolute awe of what was in front of them. The 5-man band’s soft but folky Rock sound – or as they describe it “anthemic rock mixed with cinematic post rock” – filled the entire venue and it became clear to everyone inside that these guys are nothing short of brilliant.
“Noah”:
Amber Run performed songs from their debut EP Noah, which has received distinguished reviews and has even seen the group mentioned in the same sentence as Brit Pop legends Blur and folk rock royalty Mumford and Sons. The band’s debut single “Noah” has also received airplay and support on BBC Radio 1 from Zane Lowe himself. It is apparent that these Nottingham lads are not planning to leave the spotlight any time soon and for damn good reason, as their performance at The Great Escape Festival was that of a band who demonstrates how live music really should sound.
All five members play in complete harmony together and they gave me chills when performing songs such as new single “Heaven” and the haunting “Spark”. An exceptionally talented live music performance is something that cannot be truly explained via a review, however I will do my utmost to explain my admiration and love for Amber Run. I feel genuine and honest live music is something that you don’t get to see very often so when I am in the same room as such exceptional talent, I feel it is only right that it be acknowledged, admired and especially highlighted.
“Heaven”:
Watching these guys perform, it was obvious that they are all extremely passionate about what they do, which really adds to their appeal. They all carried themselves like true professionals on stage and they performed in a way that demonstrated a real likable quality. The band interacted with the audience and acknowledged fans that had come to support them. After their performance, I could hear people talking about how impressive Amber Run were and how shocked they were by the level of talent that was soaring from these cheeky lads. From true fans who have supported the band from the beginning, to others who had not really come across them before, there was a varied mixture of people in the audience to see Amber Run. However by the end of the show, Concorde 2 will have appeared to be a room filled with true and long time fans.
I have no doubt that after their performance at The Great Escape, Amber Run will have garnered a huge amount of new followers and soon to be long term fans. These guys are an example of true UK talent that should be acknowledged, and I am extremely excited for their debut album, which they are currently working on with producers Mike Crossey (Foals, Jake Bugg, 1975) and Sam Winfield. Their album is on my list of MUST HAVE albums of 2014, along with Sam Smith’s and Ed Sheeran’s, and I recommend you add it to yours too.
Keep Tabs On Amber Run: Facebook // Twitter // Soundcloud
Words by Kerrie Lobb // Edited by Ayo Adepoju
