Rob Bellamy & The Rebel Hearts redefine country geography on ‘Northern State of Mind’

A different American landscape takes centre stage on the latest album from Rob Bellamy & The Rebel Hearts.

Northern State of Mind looks beyond the southern settings traditionally associated with country music, instead drawing inspiration from New England winters, rural roads and close-knit working communities.

The record’s opening statement comes through “Cold Country”, a muscular track written after Bellamy reflected on the apparent contradiction of making country music in a northern climate. Its message is straightforward: credibility comes from personal experience rather than location.

Musically, the band move between country, folk, Americana and guitar-led rock, with reference points including Noah Kahan, Aaron Lewis and Koe Wetzel. Bellamy and the group are also due to appear alongside Wetzel during an upcoming live engagement.

The album follows Bellamy’s earlier career as a professional hockey player and his later transition into full-time songwriting. Now a husband and father, he describes the project as part of a wider commitment to creativity, family and staying connected to his own values.