With their hearts in the Home Counties and their heads in Nashville, Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes, aka The Shires combine the best of both musical worlds on their debut album ‘Brave’, out now.  The Shires may be newcomers – but ‘Brave’ shows the evidence of Earle’s many years paying his dues as a solo singer-songwriter and Rhodes’s experience on the live circuit. And together, their distinctive voices blend perfectly. Both are inspired by the old-school workmanship of country music’s professional songwriters – an influence that echoes through the new single ‘Friday Night’, a modern end-of-the-week anthem for all those ‘9 to 5’ers.

Driven by Crissie’s powerful but subtle and supple vocals and Ben’s perfectly complementary tones and acoustic guitar, The Shires have found a piece of country to call their own. They love American music, but they’re proudly British and intensely keen to add some real indigenous flavour to the pot. The song ‘Made In England’ is a perfect example, a real celebration of all things British. It is surely the first country song ever to celebrate rainy days, milky tea and the uniquely British pleasure of eating fish’n’chips in your coat on a cold pebble beach. “Look at those grey skies,” they sing. “They’re so beautiful.” 

The British duo have been tipped for great things by industry insiders, and are the first UK signing to the revived Decca Nashville label.