When The Shires announced they would be taking a break after 13 years together, it brought an extraordinary chapter in British country music towards its close. Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes had achieved something that once seemed almost unimaginable: taking a homegrown country duo from intimate gigs and festival stages into the UK Top 10, selling out major venues and winning over audiences far beyond the traditional country music community.
Their success was about more than two excellent voices. There was an unmistakable chemistry between Ben and Crissie, a natural warmth to their performances and a gift for combining memorable melodies with beautifully blended harmonies. Perhaps just as importantly, they embraced their British identity at a time when country music was still widely regarded as something that belonged on the other side of the Atlantic.
Their early song Nashville Grey Skies captured that ambition perfectly. Rather than dreaming of escaping Britain for Tennessee, The Shires imagined building a Nashville of their own. More than a decade later, the British country music scene they helped champion is flourishing, with a growing network of festivals, venues and talented homegrown performers.
So, as The Shires prepare to step away, it’s tempting to ask who might become the next Shires. But perhaps that’s the wrong question.
No artist sets out to become a copy of someone else, and the most exciting performers in British country music are precisely those who have developed their own voices, influences and musical identities. The question isn’t who can recreate the sound of Ben and Crissie, but who might follow their example by taking British country music to an even wider audience.
And looking at the talent currently emerging across the UK, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic.
From Small Stages to the Top 10
The speed of The Shires’ rise was remarkable. Formed in 2013 after Ben and Crissie connected through social media, the duo quickly discovered that their contrasting voices created something special together. Ben brought his songwriting experience and an instinct for memorable melodies, while Crissie’s powerful vocals provided the perfect complement.
Their early performances took them to intimate venues and festival stages, including C2C, Cambridge Folk Festival and Cornbury. Alongside fellow emerging British duo Ward Thomas, they toured smaller venues, gradually building an audience that was hungry for country music made closer to home.
Support slots with American stars, including Little Big Town, introduced them to established country audiences, while BBC Radio 2 support helped bring their music to listeners who might never have considered themselves country fans.
When their debut album Brave entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 10 in March 2015, it was a landmark moment. The Shires had become the first British country group to achieve a Top 10 album, demonstrating that country music made in Britain could enjoy genuine mainstream success.
But their achievement wasn’t simply about chart positions. They had created a recognisable musical identity, built around two voices that belonged together, songs that connected emotionally and a determination to remain authentically British.
It’s a combination that provides an interesting starting point when considering the artists who might follow their success.
First Time Flyers: Four Voices, One Musical Identity
Few emerging British country groups have followed a trajectory quite as striking as First Time Flyers. Formed in 2023, the four-piece brings together Vicki Manser, Poppy Fardell, Jake Morrell and Tim Prottey-Jones, each an established performer and songwriter in their own right.
What makes the group special is the way those individual talents combine. Their four-part harmonies are central to their sound, but equally important is the obvious friendship and chemistry between them. Their performances have a warmth and energy that makes audiences feel part of the experience, something that was always an important element of The Shires’ appeal.
Like Ben and Crissie, First Time Flyers have benefited from opportunities to reach audiences beyond the traditional British country circuit. Their early appearances included C2C, followed by prestigious support opportunities with Bruce Springsteen and The Chicks at BST Hyde Park, alongside an increasingly prominent presence at The Long Road.
Their debut album Bound To Break reached No. 1 on the UK Country Albums Chart, while their growing headline audiences suggest that the group’s appeal extends well beyond the novelty of bringing four established musicians together.
Speaking to CountryMusic.co.uk at The Long Road earlier this year, the band reflected on their journey from smaller festival appearances to increasingly prominent stages. Their progress has been gradual, built on performances, songwriting and a genuine connection with their audience.
They aren’t attempting to recreate The Shires’ polished country-pop sound. First Time Flyers have their own blend of contemporary country, pop and rock influences, with four distinctive personalities contributing to the music.
But in their vocal chemistry, collective identity and growing commercial momentum, there are echoes of the qualities that helped make The Shires successful.
Outpost Drive: A Partnership Crossing Borders
Another duo attracting increasing attention is Outpost Drive, whose transatlantic partnership brings together British musician Willow Robinson and American singer-songwriter Mary Bragg Robinson.
Their music draws on both sides of the Atlantic, combining British folk influences with American country traditions. The result is a distinctive sound built around close vocal harmonies, thoughtful songwriting and the natural chemistry of two musicians who share both a musical and personal partnership.
Their career is developing along a path that would be familiar to anyone who followed The Shires’ early years. Appearances at C2C, The Long Road and Country Calling have introduced them to British country audiences, while support slots with performers including Drake Milligan and The Castellows have helped expand their following.
They have also supported The Shires themselves, providing a particularly fitting connection between one of British country’s most successful duos and a partnership now beginning to establish its own identity.
With their debut album The Outpost marking another important milestone in their career, and their first UK headline tour taking place in November 2026, Outpost Drive are entering an exciting new chapter. Moving from festival appearances and support slots into headline performances is often where emerging artists discover just how strongly their music connects with audiences, and the album gives Willow and Mary an opportunity to establish their musical identity beyond the singles that first introduced them to British country fans.
There is something particularly appealing about the way their British and American influences meet. Rather than treating country music as a sound that must be imported wholesale from Nashville, they demonstrate how the genre can absorb different musical traditions while retaining its emotional honesty and storytelling roots.
Whether their journey eventually takes them towards mainstream chart success remains to be seen, but their growing reputation makes them one of the most interesting British-based country duos to watch.
Different Sounds, Shared Ambitions
Of course, the future of British country music isn’t necessarily going to follow the polished Nashville-inspired approach that helped establish The Shires.
Ferris & Sylvester are a particularly compelling example. Issy Ferris and Archie Sylvester have developed a sound that draws on Americana, blues, folk and roots-rock, with their contrasting voices and musical chemistry at its heart.
Their success has come through a different route, with critically acclaimed recordings, a growing international audience and recognition from the Americana music community. Their album Superhuman topped the UK Official Blues Chart, demonstrating the appeal of a musical partnership that refuses to fit neatly into one genre.
When CountryMusic.co.uk spoke to the duo earlier this year, their approach to songwriting and performing revealed two musicians committed to following their own creative instincts. Their music may be considerably rootsier than The Shires’, but their vocal partnership is just as central to their identity.
Morganway offer another example of how British country-influenced music can develop its own character. Fronted by the powerful vocals of SJ Mortimer, the East Anglian band combine country, Americana, folk and rock with rich harmonies and an exhilarating live sound.
Their achievements include multiple British Country Music Association awards, increasingly successful headline tours and festival appearances across Britain and Europe. Having spent years developing their distinctive sound, Morganway are already well established within the roots music community, but their continued growth demonstrates the potential for British country-influenced music to reach audiences far beyond its traditional boundaries.
Neither Ferris & Sylvester nor Morganway needs to sound anything like The Shires. Their appeal lies precisely in the fact that they don’t.
The Artists Who Helped Build the Scene
While attention naturally turns towards emerging performers, it would be wrong to overlook the many British duos and groups who have helped establish the country music community that exists today.
Ward Thomas were contemporaries of The Shires during the genre’s early mainstream breakthrough, and their own achievements have been equally significant. Sisters Catherine and Lizzy Ward Thomas became the first British country group to reach No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with Cartwheels in 2016, demonstrating that The Shires’ success was not an isolated achievement.
Red Sky July, featuring Shelly Poole, Ally McErlaine and Haley Glennie-Smith, were blending British songwriting with Americana and country influences before The Shires had even formed. Honey Ryder also helped establish a distinctive British country-pop sound, demonstrating the genre’s potential to connect with mainstream audiences.
Two Ways Home, the partnership of Isi and Lewis, have built their reputation around close harmonies, heartfelt songwriting and a commitment to the British country and Americana community. Their performances demonstrate how much can be achieved when two musicians develop a genuinely complementary musical relationship.
Tennessee Twin have similarly spent years developing their own sound, combining storytelling, acoustic arrangements and distinctive harmonies. Their commitment to writing about real experiences, rather than simply borrowing American country imagery, reflects an authenticity that has become increasingly important to the British scene.
The Lost Notes and True Foxes have also developed loyal audiences through their harmony-led approaches to folk, country and Americana, while other performers continue to bring fresh perspectives to a genre that is becoming increasingly diverse.
These artists are not waiting to become the next Shires. Many have already established successful careers and devoted audiences of their own. Together, they represent the depth of talent that has helped transform British country music from a relatively small specialist scene into a thriving musical community.
The Shires’ Recipe for Success
Two distinctive voices: Ben Earle’s warm, melodic vocals and Crissie Rhodes’ powerful delivery created instantly recognisable harmonies, giving The Shires a sound that was unmistakably their own.
Natural chemistry: Their contrasting personalities, easy rapport and genuine musical connection made them an engaging partnership, both on record and on stage.
A British identity: With songs such as Nashville Grey Skies and Made in England, they embraced their roots rather than trying to sound American, helping British fans feel that country music belonged to them too.
Songs with crossover appeal: Memorable melodies, relatable lyrics and polished production helped their music reach beyond dedicated country audiences.
The right stages and support: Early appearances at C2C and other festivals, touring with Ward Thomas, supporting Little Big Town and receiving BBC Radio 2 backing helped turn a promising new duo into mainstream chart success.
And one essential ingredient: authenticity. The Shires didn’t succeed by following someone else’s formula. They found their own sound, believed in it and brought audiences along for the journey.
The Next Generation Is Already Emerging
Beyond the better-known names, another generation of British country performers is beginning to make its presence felt.
Smith & Liddle, the North East partnership of Billy Smith and Elizabeth Liddle, have attracted attention with their beautifully blended harmonies and 1970s-inspired country-rock sound. Their debut album Songs for the Desert has brought international interest, despite the duo only establishing their partnership in 2024.
Long Road Revival are another interesting example, bringing experienced musicians together around a newer country-rock identity, while Stoke-on-Trent’s Chasing Twisters are developing their own blend of contemporary country, British songwriting and grassroots live performances.
Perhaps the biggest unknown quantity is DENYM, the newly formed British country-pop band whose debut single Without Sound arrived in October. With male and female lead vocals, an emphasis on harmonies and ambitions to establish their own identity within British country music, they are still at the very beginning of their journey. As they revealed in our recent interview with DENYM, the group have big ambitions for their future, making them an intriguing addition to Britain’s emerging country music scene.
It’s far too early to predict where DENYM or any of these emerging performers might find themselves in five years’ time. But that uncertainty is part of what makes following new music so rewarding.
After all, when Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes first began performing together in 2013, few could have predicted quite how far their partnership would take them.
Building Our Own Nashville
Perhaps the most important thing about The Shires’ legacy is that British country artists no longer have to spend quite so much time explaining why they’re making country music in Britain.
When Ben and Crissie released Nashville Grey Skies, the idea of building a thriving homegrown country music scene was still an ambition. Today, British performers can appear at dedicated country festivals, tour established venues, receive national radio support and build audiences who are actively seeking out music made closer to home.
The Shires didn’t achieve that transformation alone. Ward Thomas, Red Sky July, Ferris & Sylvester and countless other performers, promoters, broadcasters and fans all played their part. But The Shires demonstrated, with remarkable clarity, that a British country duo could compete for attention in the mainstream music world without abandoning the genre they loved.
The next great British country success story might come from a four-piece harmony group, a married duo blending musical traditions from opposite sides of the Atlantic, or a young band still finding its sound in small venues and festival tents.
It might sound nothing like The Shires.
And perhaps that’s exactly as it should be.
Because the greatest legacy Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes leave behind isn’t a musical formula for others to follow. It’s the confidence that British country music can succeed on its own terms, and that the artists who come next are free to forge their own paths.
The Shires dreamed of building their own Nashville. The next generation gets to decide what it sounds like.
