The Shires is a British country-pop duo comprising doctors Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes of neighboring counties Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. The name, The Shires - what a county is known as in England - is a representation of the group's origins and British identity. Two-halves of one of the most successful British country acts, Earle and Rhodes met in 2013 through Earle's Facebook post looking for a country single. The following year, the duo performed at the C2C: Country to Country festival and the Town Square Pop Stage, and toured across the UK with Ward Thomas and Little Big Town. With the release of its debut album Brave, The Shires became the first UK country act to reach the Top 10 of the UK Album chart. Its second album My Universe, released in 2016, was a critical and commercial success and became the fastest-selling UK country album of all time. The Shires reached another personal milestone when it secured a deal with the Big Machine Label Group, bringing the duo a step closer to its dream of making it big in the USA. In 2017, The Shires won its first CMA Awards.
