B&H Blog: Meeting Kingsley Ward: musician, producer, engineer, farmer

When I left the Royal Agricultural University (RAC) in 2017, little did I know where I’d end up: co-hosting a podcast turned YouTube series, reaching farmers and non-farmers alike.

I guess the same could be said for Kingsley Ward, who left the then RAC quite a few years before I did!

Little did he know he’d be a kingpin within the music industry.

About the author

Boots and Heels: Becca

I’m a fifth-generation farmer from North Yorkshire, so I am the “boots” in Boots and Heels. I work full time on my family farm and truly believe that everyone, whether they are from an agricultural background or not, should have the chance to get involved in such a fantastic sector that has so much to offer.  The idea for Boots and Heels stemmed from frequent conversations with Lizzie about how the industry is perceived by those outside of agriculture. 

Read more articles by Boots and Heels: Becca

Who would have thought that a passion for agriculture could be combined with a passion for music so successfully. But Kingsley, initially alongside his brother Charles, did just that when they set up Rockfield Studios.

See also: Boots and Heels Blog: Milking a cow by hand

A stud farm linked to the Rolls Royce family turned piggery turned ground-breaking recording studio is a pretty impressive CV for a farm in Wales, don’t you think?  

A diversification before its time, Rockfield has hosted the likes of Coldplay, Oasis and Queen – for Lizzie and I to be able to walk into the studio where the iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody” was recorded was quite frankly mind-blowing.

I think the game-changing nature of this song actually sums up quite nicely Kingsley’s attitude to life and business.

When we chatted with Kingsley, there was no fear of being different.

There was no worry about breaking the mould, and this perhaps explains the success of Rockfield.

See our full chat with Kingsley on the history of Rockfield below.

It was fascinating to see elements of the farm that have quite literally inspired generations of musicians.

For example, the wall from Oasis’s “Wonderwall”, the weather vane that catalysed the line “any way the wind blows” from Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, and the recording machine that broke, prompting Coldplay to head into the farmyard and “Look at the stars”.

Have a look around the studios below.

We were welcomed with open arms to the farm and into the house, and experienced a taste of what world-famous musicians can expect when they come to stay at Rockfield.

We were regaled with tales of Liam Gallagher reputedly driving a combine during his stay, and other musicians lending a hand with haymaking and the livestock.

And we certainly couldn’t leave without seeing Kingsley’s prized Jersey cows – the true agricultural history of the farm.

There was even a cow due to calve soon (unfortunately, not on the day we visited), but I’ve been assured the, hopefully, heifer calf will be named after me!

One thing I really took away from our visit is how Kingsley has applied his farming attitude to his diversification. In tough times, you hunker down, weather the storm and wait to regroup for better times.

This is a mindset that is familiar to a lot of farmers, particularly at this time, who wait with hope for calm after the current storms subside.

You never know what opportunities will be coming, but Rockfield Studios epitomises the motto that life is all about taking or making them.