The Shires

Renowned for their sublime vocal harmonies, talented country-pop duo Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes – hailing from Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire – have fast become a firm favourite in the UK country music scene. And now they’re making their mark in Nashville too.

With their hearts in the UK and their heads in Nashville, The Shires have combined the best of both musical worlds.

Both were former contestants on The X Factor who were brought together by a Facebook message Earle had posted seeking a partner.

As fans of vocal harmonies, blending their voices came naturally and they’ve drawn inspiration from acts like The Civil Wars and Lady A as well as country luminaries like Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Faith Hill and Alison Krauss. In addition to sharing vocal duties, they’re both songwriters, with Earle also playing piano and guitar.

With their debut, the pair became the first homegrown British country act to break into the top 10 on the UK albums chart, while the 2016 follow-up album climbed to No.3 spot, becoming the fastest selling UK country album of all time.

In 2018, The Shires released Accidentally On Purpose, which was recorded in Nashville with producer Lindsay Rimes (Kylie Minogue, Thomas Rhett) and also charted at No.3.

They returned to Nashville to work with Rimes again on their fourth album Good Years. Arriving in 2020, it followed in the footsteps of its predecessors by reaching No.3 on the UK albums chart.