2015 has been a great year for UK country music but an even
better year for Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes, otherwise known as The Shires.
It’s pretty incredible to think that the two only got
together a few years ago and even more so amazingly, got together about a
hopeful question from Ben on Facebook. Last year was a good year for them with
a co-headlining tour with Ward Thomas and the release of their Green Note EP,
but this year has blown last year completely out of the water.
Their 2015 has looked like this: two headline UK tours, Hyde
Park, countless performances on national TV, supporting the regaining ACM Vocal
Group of the Year Little Big Town both in the UK and in the US (later this
year) and, most importantly, becoming the first UK country act to reach the Top
10 with their stunning album, Brave. Again,
that’s pretty incredible, right?
Yep but what’s even more incredible is this is just the
start and their sold out gig at the Liquid Rooms in Edinburgh proved this. They
showcased some new music, one song called Other
People’s Things – that I absolutely cannot wait to hear a studio version of
– and a song called Drive which, is
co-written by Kip Moore, is excellent. Ben and Crissie also looked even more at
home on that stage than ever before, radiating confidence and beaming
throughout, bar, of course, during their slower songs such as Brave.
Friday Night
(changed ever so slightly to Sunday Night
for the evening), All Over Again and Tonight featured on a packed setlist
that also featured a Striking Matches cover. Made In England was on there too but, perhaps a little intimidated
by singing that particular song in front of 800 Scots, they dropped England out of the chorus, letting the
crowd sing their own version of it.
All in all, it was another fantastic evening spent watching
The Shires and it feels pretty great to see the size of the venues they’re
playing at increase with each show. First it was King Tuts, then the Oran Mor
and then the Liquid Rooms with their next stop up here in Scotland being the
Hydro. Granted, they are supporting The Corrs but one can only wonder how long
it will be before they’re headlining a show there themselves...
...and I don’t think it’ll be too long before they are.
