The Shires

Working their way from The X Factor to a headlining slot at the Grand Ole Opry, country duo The Shires became the first British group to sign with a Nashville-based major label, as well as the only British country act to score a Top 10 album in the UK. Ben Earle began singing at the age of seven and was a chorister at Windsor Castle, even performing at Prince Edward's wedding before discovering country music and auditioning for The X Factor in 2012. His bandmate, wedding singer Crissie Rhodes, joined the show one year later, making it to the boot camp stage before being eliminated. The two songwriters united in London in 2013, and their instant rapport led them to pen a string of heartfelt acoustic ballads together. Those songs fueled the success of The Shires' debut album, Brave, which reached Number 10 on the UK Album Chart in 2015. The group also found an enthusiastic audience in America, where their British take on country music proved to be a popular novelty. They later polished their rootsy, country-influenced lullabies into twanging pop anthems on the pair's second album, My Universe, which reached Number 3 on the UK charts in 2016. Like its predecessor, My Universe also topped the UK's country chart, as did 2018's Actually On Purpose, 2020's Good Years, and 2022's 10 Year Plan.

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