The Shires: How the country music duo achieved worldwide fame
They've announced their hiatus
British country singer-songwriter duo Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes, better known as The Shires, have been a hugely popular country music band since their formation in 2013, and remain firm favourites despite their announcement to go their separate ways in 2026.
With six albums under their belt, including their 2026 album 'Bonfire', we take a look at how the country music duo achieved worldwide fame before deciding to take a break from the band.
Where are The Shires from?
The duo, comprised of Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes, come from respective and neighbouring counties: Hertfordshire, where Ben was based in St. Albans, and Bedfordshire, where Crissie grew up in Shefford. The Shires are proudly British and honour their roots in their name, 'shires', the traditional word for a county in the UK.
Are they a couple?
No, despite many people thinking they are an item, Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes are not a couple. Ben has a longterm partner called Vicki, with whom he has three children, and spoke out about their relationship in 2023.
Taking to Instagram, Ben performed an unreleased song in his house and wrote: 'Vicki and I have been together 13 years. We have lived so much life together. Even though we have 3 children together and this beautiful (currently turned upside down) house we have never found the time to get married.
'I really wanted to write a song for us and anyone else that is completely committed to each other and yet not married. I co-wrote it with my buddy jeffcohenmusic and bobdipiero, and they both really pulled out all the perfect words. It’s still my favourite song I’ve never released. Bx.' (sic)
Crissie and her partner Ryan welcomed twin girls, Evelyn and Ada, in September 2022. In an interview, Ben once described themselves as, "the Torvill and Dean of country."
How did The Shires become famous?
Both unsuccessful solo contestants on earlier seasons of The X Factor, The Shires miraculously met through social media with a shared love of country music. After Crissie Rhodes posted a message seeking another country singer to form a duo, Ben Earle responded and the rest is history.
The Shires weren't hit with a stroke of luck to get them where they are now, but instead worked non-stop over the years, earning their place as one of the most successful UK country music acts.
How many albums did they release?
The Shires released six albums during their time together: 'Brave' (2015), 'My Universe' (2016), 'Accidentally on Purpose' (2018), 'Good Years' (2020), '10 Year Plan' (2022) and 'Bonfire' (2026).
Debut record 'Brave' peaked at Number 10 on the mainstream UK albums chart, making The Shires the first UK country act to have an album in the Top 10. But their success didn't stop there!
Their following album 'My Universe' was released on 30th September 2016, and debuted even higher at Number 3 on the mainstream UK albums chart - also becoming the fastest-selling UK country album of all time.
Third album 'Accidentally On Purpose' dropped on 20th April 2018 and also peaked at Number 3, as the duo went from strength to strength. Their fourth album 'Good Years' was released in March 2020, and also hit the Number 1 spot on the UK Country chart.
The Shires' fifth album ’10 Year Plan’ was released in March 2022, topping the UK Country chart and reaching Number 5 on the mainstream UK albums chart, while July 2026 release 'Bonfire' went to Number 1 in the UK Country chart, and Number 28 in the mainstream album chart.
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Which are The Shires' most popular songs?
The Shires have millions of online streams for their songs, with 'I Just Wanna Love You' from first album 'Brave' racking up over 16 million listens.
'Daddy's Little Girl' from second album 'My Universe' has also gained a lot of attention. It's an emotional track, written about Crissie's late father.
There's also 'Guilty' from their release 'Accidentally On Purpose' that has gathered millions of listens, and rightly so.
They're all brilliant country tunes!
Are The Shires on tour?
The Shires completed their last tour in November 2026, visiting venues across the UK from 3rd-20th.
When did The Shires split up?
Ben and Crissie called time on the band in October 2026. They shared a video of themselves on social media with the caption: 'After a busy 13 years together and six albums’ worth of stories shared on stages all across the world, we’re going to be taking time away from The Shires.
'With two young daughters at home, Crissie will be taking a well-deserved break to focus on family life and spend more time with her quickly-growing girls. It’s a bittersweet decision, one that Ben completely understands and supports as a parent himself. We’ll both be cheering each other on for whatever our next chapters hold and who knows, maybe one day we’ll be making music and touring again.
'But for now, this will be our final tour as The Shires for the foreseeable future. We can’t wait to sing, dance and make some beautiful memories together on this tour, as we celebrate the amazing journey we’ve all been on together. Thank you for all the love you’ve given us, we’ll hold onto it forever.'
The pair reiterated that statement within the video itself, stressing that they were still very good friends and were looking forward to their then-upcoming tour, but that the difficult decision had been made for Crissie's family.
Ben put out a post the same day, writing: 'Thank you for all the lovely messages about our Shires announcement. I completely respect and understand Crissie’s decision but truthfully it’s been a big adjustment for me and something I’ve been processing and working through.
'That’s why I’ve found it a bit tough to show up on here recently. I’m definitely turning a corner with it all though," adding that he had exciting projects to look forward to, before adding: 'Thank you for all the love and support. I’m going to carry it all with me into this upcoming tour and have the best time ever.'
Are they on social media?
You can follow them on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
Take a look through The Shires' career timeline:
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 debut 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. 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 in the mainstream UK album charts, 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 Opry, 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 on the UK 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 went on to headline the acoustic stage at Glastonbury Festival 2016 - with Ben almost missing 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 mainstream UK album charts. Following the release of 'Accidentally On Purpose', the group went on a lengthy sold-out UK tour which included a debut show at the Royal Albert Hall. They were also the support act for Canadian 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 mainstream 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 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 2021 to announce they would be heading on tour in the UK throughout October and November. The tour was to be at smaller, more intimate venues as they perform acoustic sets.
2022: The Shires release 5th album '10 Year Plan'
On 11th March 2022, The Shires released their 5th studio album '10 Year Plan', which, like all of their others, went to Number 1 in the UK country chart. The album features single 'I See Stars'.
Also in 2022, The Shires embarked on a tour, which included some rescheduled dates due to earlier COVID-19 restrictions. Ben and Crissie were joined by Eric Paslay and visited the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall and York Barbican, among many other iconic UK venues.
2024-2025: The Shires head on their 'The Two of Us Tour'
In 2024, The Shires headed on their 'The Two of Us' acoustic Tour, performing at venues across the length and breadth of the UK. In a post on social media in June 2025, the pair wrote: 'We've added MORE dates to our Two Of Us acoustic tour. Honestly, we've been having such an amazing time with you all on the road that we never want the good times to end! October tickets available now. Let us know in the comments if you're coming❤️ B&Cx.'
2026: The Shires announce they're taking a break
In October 2026, Crissie and Ben announced that they would be taking some time away from The Shires. They stressed that they were still very good friends, but that Crissie wanted to be around for her two young daughters. The pair gave hope that there could be a reunion in the future, and added that they were thrilled to be going on tour together throughout November 2026. The announcement post was flooded with comments from fans and fellow musicians alike - including Shania Twain. Many artists expressed gratitude to The Shires for giving them opportunities.
The Shires performed their tour throughout November 2026, embarking in Glasgow on 3rd November before heading to Gateshead, York, Manchester, Birmingham, London, Brighton, Ipswich, Poole, Swansea, Liverpool, Bedford and ending in Bristol on 20th November.
Author: Alex Carmichael
Additional content by Scarlett Martin.