The Shires join Baylen Leonard to chat about the power of Country
We LOVE the duo!
Last updated 21st May 2021
Baylen Leonard caught up with duo The Shires on Absolute Radio Country to chat about the power of Country music, why it’s so special to them and their new version of their track ‘On The Day I Die’ with Jimmie Allen.
Country stars The Shires have been wowing audiences for the since they formed in 2013. Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes, who hail from Bedfordshire, have gone on to become one of the biggest Country acts across the globe and were the first UK to chart in the Top 10 of the UK album chart, with their debut ‘Brave’ in 2015.
Ben said that they couldn’t have imagined the growth in popularity of Country music in the UK, even when they released their first single ‘Nashville Grey Skies’ in April 2014.
He said: “Country was kind of a word and when you said it, all people would say ‘Oh Dolly Parton, Country and Western’. We never imagined that shift would happen.
“I don’t think we dreamed this would happen, maybe deep down. But it has and it is still growing, that’s what is exciting. It’s just the beginning of it getting bigger and bigger."
As the biggest-selling UK country band ever and the first to be signed to a major Nashville record label, Crissie added that the movement is still getting bigger with a whole new generation of fans emerging.
Crissie added: “When we first started, I think our manager and a few people laughed at us saying ‘Aren’t you a bit young to like Country music?’ as before, it seemed like it was for older people. But now, we see youngsters coming to our show.
“Kids come to show at festivals and stuff but grandparents, teenagers and everyone in between come as well.”
Ben continued: “It’s such an inclusive genre, there is something for everybody. We have had four generations at our shows before which is crazy!”
The Shires have won numerous British Country Music awards as well as two Country Music Association awards, the Jeff Walker Global Achievement Award and Duo of the Year in 2017 and International Broadcaster of the Year in 2020.
Ben explained that although being from the UK set them apart from some of the other bigger Nashville-based Country artists, they have remained authentic to themselves and their own sound.
“The honesty and storytelling, we never wanted to lose that. It’s really fascinating, think about our first two albums and then the third and fourth, and what will be the fifth, is that we were shaped by our experiences. We hadn’t really been to Nashville much during the first two albums. You can definitely hear the Nashville influence with the more time we have spent there.”
“Breland, Luke Combs, Midland, the thread through all of those artists is the authenticity, truth and storytelling.”
In April 2021, The Shires released a special version of their ballad ‘On The Day I Die’, featuring a collaboration with American performer Jimmie Allen.
Already a fan favourite, after it was featured on their record ‘Good Years’, The Shires explained how the collaboration came about.
Crissie said: “We were sad that the pandemic hit just as we were about to go and promote our album. So getting to do this collaboration, it has brought some new life into the songs.
“Jimmie loved the song, he loves collaborating anyway, so he was really excited to be a part of it.”
Be added: “He’s so busy at the moment, winning awards left, right and centre so for him to take the time was great.”
The Shires had some big shows booked before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. They were due to perform at the UK’s C2C Festival and go on a huge UK tour, which has now been rescheduled to Spring 2022.
Ben said: “We’ve potentially got some acoustic shows at the end of this year, everything is quite tentative still. We want to get out and play, we love playing.
"Right now, we’re focusing on writing for the next album, album five! It will probably be ready for the start of next year, maybe around C2C time. We love releasing it around then. That would be the perfect plan!”
We can’t wait to see what The Shires do next! Listen to their biggest songs on Absolute Radio Country.
Take a look at The Shires through the years:
2013: Career beginnings
After both being unsuccessful as solo artists on popular singing show The X Factor, Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes met on social media through a mutual friend and bonded over a shared love of country music. They decided to form a country group called The Shires.
Shires is the traditional word for a county in the UK and the duo felt it was the perfect name to honour their British roots.
The duo began writing and performing together and within eight months secured a record deal with both Decca Records in the UK and Universal Music Group Nashville in the US.
2014: The Shires release their debut single
The Shires released their debut single 'Nashville Grey Skies' from their upcoming album 'Brave' in April 2014. The song was written by Ben Earle before the group were signed and shares his desire for the UK to have their own version of Nashville. It has since become one of the band's signature songs.
The Shires were invited to perform at the C2C: Country to Country 2014 Festival. As part of the BBC's coverage of the festival the duo were featured in a short documentary titled 'Nashville UK' which looked at country music's popularity in the UK.
2015: 'Brave' and Grand Ole Opry debut
In March 2015, The Shires released their debut studio album, 'Brave'. The album peaked at Number 10 on the UK Albums Chart, making The Shires the first UK country act to have an album in the Top 10. It also reached Number 1 on the UK Country Album Chart and was the group's first gold certified album.
After the success of their debut album, The Shires made their debut at the Grand Ole Oprey, the first UK Country act to do so since the radio station's inception in 1925.
2016: 'My Universe' is released and Glastonbury
The Shires released their second album, 'My Universe' in September 2016 and it included the singles, 'Beats to Your Rhythm' and 'My Universe'. The album performed exceptionally well in the UK, reaching the Number 3 spot of the UK Album charts as well as becoming the fastest-selling UK country album of all-time.
Just three weeks after the album was released, The Shires made music history again by becoming the first UK country group to sign a record deal with the Nashville record label, Big Machine Label Group.
The Shires also went on to headline the acoustic stage at Glastonbury Festival 2016. Ben almost missed the set due to his son being born just hours before they were set to go on stage.
2017: The Shires win their first CMA Award
The Shires were awarded the prestigious CMA Jeff Walker Global Artist Award by the Country Music Association during a surprise presentation in March 2017. This award recognises outstanding achievements by a country music artist originally signed outside of the US. The Shires made history once again by becoming the first ever UK artists to be awarded a Country Music Award.
Later that year, The Shires were presented with their second gold disc in a year after officially announcing that their hit album, 'My Universe' had sold more than 100,000 copies in the UK.
2018: 'Accidentally on Purpose' is released
The duo returned to Nashville to record their third studio album in 2018, which the band wanted to be more of a crossover record with influences from both pop and country music. 'Accidentally on Purpose' was released in April 2018 and was followed by the singles 'Guilty', 'Accidentally On Purpose' and 'Echo'.
The album reached Number 1 on the UK Country charts and Number 3 on the UK album charts. Following the release of 'Accidentally On Purpose', the group wet on a lengthy sold-out UK tour which included a debut show at the Royal Albert Hall. They were also the support act for Candian superstar Shania Twain during her 'Now Tour 2018.'
2019: Collaborations and doctorates
Following on from the success of their UK tour and third album release, The Shires went on to support country sensation Carrie Underwood on the UK leg of her 'The Cry Pretty Tour' in 2019. Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes were also awarded Honorary Doctorates of the Arts by the University of Bedfordshire for their services to the Arts.
2020 : 'Good Years' is released
The Shires released their fourth album, 'Good Years' in March 2020. Once again the album reached the Number 1 spot on the UK Country album charts and Number 3 on the UK Album charts.
That same year, the duo released their first greatest hits album which feature their most popular songs from their first three albums including 'Ahead Of The Storm', 'Stay The Night' and 'State Lines'.
After making his BBC Radio 2 broadcasting debut in 2019, Ben Earle was awarded the CMA 2020 for International Country Broadcaster Award by the Country Music Association. The award recognises the outstanding achievements by a radio broadcaster outside the US who has made important contributions for the development of Country Music in their country.
2021: The Shires acoustic UK tour 2021
The Shires took to their Instagram in July to announce that they will be heading on tour in the UK throughout October and November. The tour will be at smaller, more intimate venues as they perform acoustic sets.
Read more:
The Shires: How the country music duo achieved worldwide fame
Carrie Underwood: Everything you need to know