The Shires

Artist:  The Shires
Origin:  Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, England
Genre:  Country, Country Pop, Contemporary Country

Original line-up:

Ben Earle:  Vocals
Crissie Rhodes:  Vocals, Piano, Guitar

The Shires are a British Country Duo composed of Ben Earle (Vocals) and Crissie Rhodes (Vocals, Piano, Guitar), formed in 2013.  After playing hardly half a dozen shows together.  They signed with Decca Records, who signed them in the United Kingdom, and they secured a contract American Record Label Universal Music Group Nashville, thus becoming the first ever English Country act to be signed to a major Nashville Label and they were also the first ever UK Country act to have a Top Ten Album.

Title:  My Universe  (2016)
Genre:  Country Pop
Label:  Decca Records
Rating:   *****

Tracks:

 1.  My Universe  (3:48)
 2.  Beats To Your Rhythm  (3:01)
 3.  Not Even Drunk Right Now  (3:12)
 4.  Naked  (3:41)
 5.  Drive  (3:28)
 6.  Daddy's Little Girl  (3:10)
 7.  Everything You Never Gave  (4:10)
 8.  Save Me  (4:13)
 9.  Common Language  (3:39)
10. A Thousand Hallelujahs  (3:16)
11. Other People's Things  (4:16)
12. Desperate  (3:45)

Personnel:

Ben Earle:  Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Piano
Crissie Rhodes:  Vocals, Piano, Guitar
Charlotte Ollward, Tobias Lindgren, Tim Larsson:  Background Vocals on Track 10
Brian Pruitt:  Drums, Percussion on Tracks:  1-11
Dan McDougall: Drums  on Track 2, Colapping, Toms, Tambourine, Stomps, Piano on Track 2
Mike Payne:  Electric Guitar on Tracks:  1-11
Troy Lancaster:  Electric Guitar on Tracks:  1-11
Klas Olofsson:  Electric Guitar on Track 5
Joel Key:  Acoustic Guitar on Tracks:  1-11, Mandolin on Tracks:  1, 7, Banjo on Track 10
David Labruyere:  Acoustic Guitar on Track 7, Bass on Tracks:  1-11, Acoustic Bass on Track 7
Tim Larsson:   Drums Programming, Keyboards on Tracks:  3, 4, 8, 10, 11, Slide Guitar on Track 8
Tobias Lindgren:  Drums Programming, Keyboards on Tracks:  3, 4, 8, 10, 11, Slide Guitar on Track 8
Kerenza Peacock:  Violin on Tracks:  4, 9
Leanne Sinha:   Violin on Tracks:  4, 9
Sarah Chapman:  Viola on Tracks:  4, 9
Jane Oliver:  Cello on Tracks:  4, 9

My Universe is the second studio album by The Shires, was released on September 30, 2016 by Decca Records.  The album reached No. 1 on UK Country Albums Chart, and No. 2 on Scottish Albums Chart.