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Sunday, 16 October 2016

UK Country superstars The Shires make Chart History with Fastest-Selling UK Country Album of all time!


UK country superstars, The Shires, released their hotly anticipated second album MY UNIVERSE, on 30th September 2016.

UK COUNTRY SUPERSTARS THE SHIRES MAKE CHART HISTORY 
WITH FASTEST-SELLING UK COUNTRY ALBUM OF ALL TIME!


We take a look at what it took to shift 14,900 copies in The Shires record breaking debut week and their 2nd week promotion

New album 'My Universe' breaks all records landing at No.3 in UK Album Charts on Friday Oct 7, 2016.

The Shires have done it again. In March 2015 they made chart history by becoming the first ever UK Country band to enter the Top 10 of the Official UK Album Chart with their debut, and on Friday Oct 7, 2016, their brand new 12 track album MY UNIVERSE, released on 30th September (Amazon UK - UK iTunes - Amazon.com ), stormed the charts, landing at No.3 and becoming the fastest-selling UK Country album of all time (** by a UK country act see below).

UK country act The Shires just made album chart history

Official Charts Company Chief Executive Martin Talbot confirmed this new record, "Congratulations to The Shires on again breaking new ground for UK Country music. This is a fantastic golden era for the genre and The Shires are leading the way."

Hot on the heels of Craig David and Bon Iver, The Shires are not only the biggest-selling Country act in the UK (including US artists), but have positioned themselves comfortably alongside more mainstream pop acts, being one of the biggest UK debut acts of any genre last year. The duo set the tone with their first album, 'Brave' in 2015, becoming the trailblazers of the UK Country music movement which has seen a sea change in the opinion of the British public, who have embraced the genre. Recent reports have shown that Country music fans are also getting younger with nearly half of 18-24-year-olds committed to following the new genre.

On hearing the record-breaking news, Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes of The Shires said, "We can’t believe it! We've lived and breathed this new album, so to then see people get as much from it as we do is pretty overwhelming. Being told you have the fastest-selling British Country album ever and also landing a Top 3 record is incredible. We are so grateful to our fans, and of course supporters within the industry, who have made this all possible and supported us every step of the way.”
The Shires talk country music revolution: "Country is cooler and a lot more relatable nowadays" The Official Charts (Jack White) chat to Ben and Crissie about their new album My Universe….

Official UK Top 100 Albums Chart (Week Ending 13 Oct 2016)
7 October 2016 - 13 October 2016
A little more than 16 years after his first album, BORN TO DO IT, blazed to a No.1 debut, Craig David returned to the summit for the first time since, with sixth album, Following My Intuition.
It is a sign of the times that Following My Intuition's chart-topping debut was attended by sales of just 24,500 copies (including 2,249 from streams) whereas Born To Do It sold 225,320 copies, pure sales, on its coronation in 2000 when David, now 35, was just 19.
For Bon Iver the 19,813 copies that 22, A MILLION shifted was suffice only for a No.2 bow.

The Shires became the first UK country act to register a Top 10 album when their first release Brave debuted and peaked at No.10 (9,516 sales) in March 2015. The duo's follow-up, MY UNIVERSE, built on that, and achieved both a higher placing and bigger first week sales, opening at No.3 with 14,913 units (including unknown streaming points).

Its debut came just four weeks after another UK country duo, sisters the lovely non-identical 22-year-olds Catherine and Lizzie Ward Thomas aka Ward Thomas topped the chart with their second album, CARTWHEELS, albeit on lower sales of 12,127 units (11,900 pure sales + Streaming points)
















Beyonce's kid sister Solange who was outselling The Shires on UK iTunes scored her first chart entry with third full length album A SEAT AT THE TABLE debuted at #17 (4,267 sales). It was only available only digitally at the juncture.

Following the Official UK Top 100 Albums Chart #10 debut of their first album BRAVE, Official Charts Company Chief Executive Martin Talbot said: “This is a fantastic feat by this young British country duo. No country act has ever made this kind of impact on the chart before – it is truly remarkable.”
BBC Radio 2’s “Country King” Bob Harris added: ‘I’ve been doing the country show for 15 years now, and in the whole of that time I’ve never known things to be quite as exciting as they are today.

After a 52-week chart frame run BRAVE (DECCA NASHVILLE) re-entered the top 200 at #153 (43 Top 100 chart frames) with a 52-week estimated tally of 110,000 copies for the already GOLD certified album.
To put that into perspective BRAVE sold more copies in 17 chart frames (45,600) in UK than Grammy Winning CMA nominated Kacey Musgraves SAME TRAILER, DIFFERENT PARK (43,500) in 26 months since its UK April 2013 release.
After 24 chart frames BRAVE sold another 3,928 copies with an official cumulative tally of 59,294 copies and then swept past the 60,000 mark which was enough to earn a Silver Award certification which is administered by The BPI. At that point the album had logged 24 weeks at No.1 atop the Official UK Country Album Chart.
On the Official UK Country Album Chart (Week Ending 12 May 2016) after 51 chart frames BRAVE was at #8 and had spent 37 weeks at #1!

Can MY UNIVERSE match or better the Official UK Top 100 Albums Chart success of BRAVE?  
The Shires "Brave" Official UK Top 100 Album Chart run (beginning week March 14, 2015):
10-23-48-78-95-158-136-88-30-37-37-17-25-32-45-48-60-74-78-99-90-72-24-13-17-28-51-66-48-77-101-16-25-41-38-42-45-38-52-64-81-71-91-71-73-113-110-95-134-192-OUT-153

Official UK Top 100 Albums Chart

Highest Selling Country Album Debuts and notables in 2014
Dolly Parton BLUE SMOKE / THE BEST OF debut at No.6 (20,860 sales; chart week June 21, 2014), then #6 (13,962 sales); then #7 (13,983 sales); then #4 (28,256 copies), then #3 (18,568 sales), then #3 (15,408 sales), then #2 (13,602 sales), then #2 (14,998 sales), then #2 (16,665 sales), then #3 (10,905 sales) then #7 (8,940 sales), then #10 (7,738 sales), then #11 (6,062 sales).
The album set went on to be certified PLATINUM and as of the chart 31st January 2015 had a 33-week chart estimated total of 374,500 copies and has gone on to sell 402,000 copies!

First Aid Kit STAY GOLD debuts at No.11 (11,281 sales; chart week June 21, 2014) 
Garth Brooks MAN AGAINST MACHINE debut at #23 (7,608 sales; chart Week Nov 22, 2014),
Lady Antebellum with 747 debut at #12 (5,998 sales; chart week Oct 18, 2014)
Sheryl Crowe FEELS LIKE HOME Official UK Albums Top 100 debut at No.16 (5,498 sales; chart week Feb 8, 2014)
Rosanne Cash THE RIVER & THE THREAD debut at No.25 (4,267 sales; chart week Feb 22, 2014)
Lucinda Williams with DOWN WHERE THE SPIRIT MEETS THE BONE debut at No.23 (4,101 sales; chart week Oct 11, 2014)
Notables:
Miranda Lambert PLATINUM debut at No.52 (1,725 sales; chart week June 14, 2014) then off the chart
Ward Thomas FROM WHERE WE STAND debut at No.41 (2,473 sales; chart week August 2, 2014)
Brad Paisley MOONSHINE IN THE TRUNK debut at No.34 (2,387 sales; chart week September 6, 2014)
Tim McGraw with SUNDOWN HEAVEN TOWN debut at No.72 debut (1,383 sales; chart week Oct 4, 2014),

Highest Selling Country Album Debuts and notables in 2015
Daniel O'Donnell with THE HANK WILLIAMS SONGBOOK debut at No.5 (12,232 sales; chart week Nov 5, 2015)
The Shires BRAVE debut at No.10 (9,516 sales; chart week March 14, 2015), then #23 (4,241 sales); then #48 (1,900 sales), then #78 (1,000 sales), then #95 (1,200 sales).
Kacey Musgraves with PAGEANT MATERIAL debut at No.11 (7,284 sales; chart week July 4, 2015)
Carrie Underwood with STORYTELLER debut at No.13 (6,852 sales; chart week Nov 5, 2015)
Blackberry Smoke HOLDING ALL THE ROSES debut at No.17 (5,704 sales; chart week Feb 21, 2015), then #58 (1,400 sales), then fell off the chart 
Notables:
Jason Isbell with SOMETHING MORE THAN FREE debut at No.17 (3,256 sales; chart week July 30, 2015)
The Zac Brown Band JEKYLL + HYDE debut at No.36 (2,273 sales; chart week May 9, 2015).
Nathan Carter BEAUTIFUL LIFE debut at No.34 (2,736 sales; chart week May 23, 2015)
Luke Bryan with KILL THE LIGHTS debut at No.47 (1,355 sales; chart week August 20, 2015)

Highest Selling Country Album Debuts and notables in 2016
Dolly Parton with PURE & SIMPLE debut at No.2 (16,723 sales; chart week 1 September 2016)
The Shires with MY UNIVERSE debut at No.3 (14,913 sales including streaming points).
Ward Thomas with CARTWHEELS made a debut at No.1 (12,127 sales (including 227 from streams)
Daniel O'Donnell with CD/DVD release THE BEST OF MUSIC AND MEMORIES made a debut at No.15 (5,832 sales; chart week March 3, 2016)
Lucinda Williams with THE GHOSTS OF HIGHWAY 20 debut a No.33 (3,949 sales; chart week February 4, 2016)
Notables:
Chris Isaak with FIRST COMES THE NIGHT debut at No.32 (3,341 sales; chart week February 18, 2016)
Nathan Carter with STAYIN' UP ALL NIGHT debut at No.31 (2,688 sales; chart week 12 May 2016)
Cyndi Lauper with DETOUR debut at No.43 (2,018 sales; chart week 12 May 2016)
The Cadillac Three with BURY ME IN MY BOOTS debut at No.33 (2,371 sales; chart week 18 August 2016)
Shakin' Stevens with ECHOES OF OUR TOWN debut at No.22 (3,334 sales; chart week 29 Sept 2016)

History
Shania Twain’s COME ON OVER (1999) went 11× Platinum and logged 11 weeks at No.1 on the Official UK Top 100 Albums Chart
Taylor Swift’s RED (Big Machine; Tagged Pop country rock) was classed as country by Billboard but not by the Official Chart. It debuted at No.1 (chart dated 28 Oct 2012) selling 61,779 copies and was later certified 2× Platinum 
At the time RED was the first album by a female country singer to top the chart since Shania in 1999.
Taylor Swift’s pop album 1989 (Big Machine) debuted at No.1 (chart dated 2 Nov 2014) selling 90,336 copies and reached 3x Platinum status. Taylor’s country albums FEARLESS (21-03-2009) peaked at No.5 with 33,829 debut sales and SPEAK NOW (6/11/2010) peaked at No.6 with 28,223 sales.

What it took for The Shires to land a #3 debut and become the Fastest-Selling UK Country Album of All Time by a UK country act selling 14,900 copies.    

First Single
The Shires revealed the artwork for their new album MY UNIVERSE which included their lead-off single "Beats To Your Rhythm" on Fri 29 July 2016. It had its world exclusive first play by Ken Bruce on BBC Radio 2.
Fans were able to download the single as a pre-grat track and Pre-Order the album on iTunes and Amazon (Exclusive Signed Edition) with a release date set at 7th Oct. This was then brought forward a week to Fri Sept 30th.
BLOG POST: The Shires, release 'Beats To Your Rhythm', first single from brand new album MY UNIVERSE

SPOTIFY
Spotify included "Beats To Your Rhythm" on their New Music Friday playlist and hence became the first ever country artist on the main playlist. It has so far logged 994.5K streams. Second single “My Universe” has received 185.8K streams

Local Radio
Promoting the single and new album they visited various local BBC stations in the UK.

MAGAZINES
Music Week ran an article: How UK country act The Shires plan to break America
Decca Records MD Rebecca Allen told Music Week: “The scene was set perfectly by Taylor Swift putting Nashville on the global map, along with the hit TV Show Nashville and media supporters of country music like BBC Radio 2 and the C2C Festival.
The audience was there and it was growing. The Shires came along with incredible, radio friendly songs and joined all the dots.
“Decca were also aggressive in their marketing and promotion of the band. We quickly spotted the glaring omission of any UK country act ever making a dent in the UK charts and we went for it.
“It’s amazing how many young artists and bands are now coming out of the woodwork and declaring their love for all things country here in the UK and citing The Shires as their influence. There really are some exciting new acts coming through.”
“As the years have gone by, that stereotype has almost disappeared. There are many more youngsters now - 47% of 18 to 24-year-olds in the UK are listening to country music now. Every major label’s got a UK country act now.” said Crissie Rhodes…. Read more


In the first Issue of Country Music Magazine (Anthem Publishing; The UK's FINEST Country Music Magazine/ "The place where great writing meets great music") out on the 28th of September The Shires were on the front the cover with a 8-page feature and full back page advert. It went on sale in W.H.Smith, HMV, Tesco’s and selective Sainsbury’s stores for £5.99 (or online at £6.99).

BBC RADIO 2














MY UNIVERSE was BBC Radio 2's Album of the Week from Weds Sept 21, 2016 and their second single "My Universe" was on the BBC Radio 2 "B" Playlist then upgraded to the "A" Playlist (W/C Sept 28)

On Fri Sept 30th 2016 they joined Chris Evans on BBC Radio 2 playing live songs from the new album The Universe and covered one of superstar Robbie Williams’ biggest hits "Angel". Watch the clip >> here

See BLOG POST The Shires perform exclusive live version of Other People’s Things, New album out today

They then headed to BBC Look East joining presenters Susie Fowler Watt and David Whiteley to perform the title Track "My Universe"


BBC BREAKFAST


























The Shires (Crissie Rhodes 28 and Ben Earle 29) followed former Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls and dance partner Katya Jones (talking all things Strictly!) joining BBC Breakfast presenters Louise Minchin and Dan Walkeron the sofa on Oct 4th at 9:05.


 Dan set things up by saying it’s been a "Eventful Year for country band The Shires including rushing to the headline spot to Glastonbury just hours after Ben's wife gave birth"
Then the programme showed a clip from the >> official video which has received 207K views on YouTube since it was published on Sep 16, 2016 and 200K views on >> Vevo.com  
"Sounds great doesn't it" remarked Dan
“We've had a crazy year we almost haven't had time to breathe with the amount we've been up to. We just played Glastonbury, just this summer which was amazing. We headlined on Saturday night” shared Crissie.




















Ben Earle then clarified that is was the ACOUSTIC STAGE which drew much laughter in the Breakfast studio.
Ben: “We were on stage and I was crying, Crissie was crying. It was just magical!”
















“What about the British country scene Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire are a long way from Nashville, does your music and British country music have a different style, a different sound you think?" asked Dan
Crissie replied: "There's a lot more people listening to country music in the UK now. So many people are backing us and so many American acts are coming over as well. We're influenced by American country music and we put our own Brit spin on it and sing about what's current in our life’s opposed to the Rhinestones and cowboys we kind of don't relate to "

Ben and Crissie performed a short cameo acoustic performance on the album bookend track "Desperate"
"Really Lovely" - Louise Minchin
"Thanks so much guys, gorgeous...the album is a great listen" - Dan Walkeron

Here's a longer clip of the song 'Desperate'

Louise Minchin noted that Nashville have adopted them and Ben Earle spoke about crafting songs with the top country writers during a 3-week stay in Music City and the enthusiasm and buzz they brought back to the UK from those writing sessions.


Louise talking to Crissie said "You auditioned for X Factor"
“Yeah 2013, it was really good fun to see  how it all goes on behind the scenes" said Crissie.
Louise then followed up: Does it help the music industry shows [X Factor] like that?"

Ben: Yes and No. I think what's great they used to dominate the charts a bit the Reality stuff whereas now there's a really good balance. When you look at the charts this week you've got Craig David, Bon Iver and Van Morrison. We're going up against them as well (laughs). There's still a place for the Reality TV stuff I wish there was a bit more focus on the music. I wish they would bring Fame Academy, that would be my dream because they focus on the artistry as opposed to the back story and drama!

Ex X-Factor hopeful The Shires: We have worked so hard to be where we are
Express.co.uk Pop superstar Nicole Scherzinger mentored them both when they took part as solo artists: “I went through bootcamp and I had the best odds to win the show that year, I was 8/1,” says Crissie, who appeared on the series in 2013, a year after Ben. “We met Dermot O’Leary at Glastonbury and he gave me the biggest hug and said, ‘Crissie, I swore you were going to win’.” The X Factor’s loss is country music’s gain because Crissie and Ben are proving to be unstoppable.
Their new album My Universe is packed with soaring anthems and sweeping ballads. It was recorded in Nashville, the home of country music, with some of the industry’s top names. Read More

Talk of The Shires getting to No.1
After their BBC Breakfast appearance MY UNIVERSE moved up from #5 to #3 on UK iTunes dropping back to #5 on Weds Oct 5th. Their highest UK Country iTunes track was "My Universe" at No1 (#134 all genres) then "Daddy's Little Girl" No.6 Country (#429 all genres) and first single The Shires "Beats to Your Rhythm" was at #7 (#510 all genres)
Official Albums

UK Top 100 Official Albums Midweek Chart Update (3 Oct 2016)
The Official UK Charts Company reported:
Craig David set to make triumphant return to Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart after 16 years
There were 17 new albums heading for the week's Top 40, including Bon Iver, The Shires and Solange.

However Craig David was on course to make a glorious return to the top of the Official Albums Chart this week.
The star’s sixth album and first in six years, called FOLLOWING MY INTUITION, is leading the way at the halfway stage of the chart week and it set to claim this week’s Number 1.
If Craig holds on to his position until Friday’s Official Chart reveal (October 7), it’ll be his first chart-topping collection since his debut album Born To Do It debuted at Number 1 in 2000
He faces competition from US indie folk band Bon Iver, who are currently at Number 2 with their new album 22, A MILLION.
The group’s third studio record is 3,500 combined sales behind Craig David on today’s Official Chart Update.
Also vying for the top spot this week are UK country duo The Shires. Their second album MY UNIVERSE was at Number 3, while a deluxe edition release of Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool has sent it back up the chart, vaulting 81 places to Number 4.
American singer, songwriter, model, and actress Solange (Solange Piaget Knowles) was blowing up on iTunes worldwide WITH A SEAT AT THE TABLE (released Sept 30) her third full-length album, following 2008's Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams. She was #1 on iTunes in the U.S. and was at #4 in the UK. An expansive 21 tracks in total, the release features guest appearances from Kelly Rowland, Lil Wayne, Kelela, Q-Tip, The-Dream and Dev Hynes.
The Shires new album released worldwide on iTunes but did not figure on Top 1500 albums all genres in America. US iTunes

Predictions: New entries and high climbers
1 Craig David - Following My Intuition (18.9k)
2 Bon Iver - 22, A Million (14.7k)
3 The Shires - My Universe (11.3k)
4 Radiohead - A Moon Shaped Pool (9.6k)
5 Van Morrison - Keep Me Singing (8.8k)

The Shires PR agency D Digital PR (founded by Doug Hall) shared:
UK Country superstars, The Shires, surprised hordes of their fans and shoppers in central London when they hitched a lift down Oxford Street travelled in true Nashville style, arriving on the back of a vintage American 1957 Chevy pick-up truck. 


















Arriving in style, to celebrate the release of their new album 'My Universe' this week, Ben Earle & Crissie Rhodes were delighted to be performing to adoring crowds at HMV (Weds Oct 5) today, as their second album is currently shooting up the UK album charts (?), landed at No.3 on the OCC Midweek chart. ‘My Universe’ has already broken records by becoming the biggest-selling UK Country album in Week 1!






















The Shires of course hold the record for the biggest-selling UK Country album of all time, with their debut ‘Brave’ which has now gone Gold.
The Shires stated: "We are thrilled to see such a fantastic reaction to the release of our second album this week! It's a very exciting time for UK country music. Thank you to all our fans for their support - it was wonderful to see you at HMV and we can't wait to get back out on the road next month for our next UK Headline Tour."
 Ben and Crissie travelled in true Nashville style, arriving on the back of the truck to greet fans waiting at the store to celebrate the release of the album.
HMV Facebook Gallery Photos: Facebook
By Fri Oct 7th My Universe had fallen to #18 on UK iTunes albums

HMV STORE SIGNINGS & PERFORMANCES

 The Shires visited HMV stores (Event Page) across the UK to celebrate the release of My Universe!
Fans could see the band perform live and get their albums signed in Birmingham (Sun Oct 2), Cardiff (Oct 3rd 5:15), Liverpool One (5 South John Street, L1 8BU) | Tues Oct 4th 5:15; granted on a first come first served basis), London (HMV 363 Oxford Street W1C 2LA | Weds Oct 5th at 6 pm) and Manchester (Arndale Thurs Oct 6th 5:15)!
The Shires performed live and signed copies of their new album. For the HMV 363, Oxford Street, London date on Weds Oct 5th.  400 tickets were made available. Customers who obtained a ticket would also need to purchase a copy of The Shires' album 'My Universe' from the store on the day of the event.           
See fan photos Instagram.com


HMV Wagons Roll!
George Nicolas actor, presenter, stand up voiceover artist provided the wheels.
Watch The Shires perform "Beats To Your Rhythm" live HMV Arndale in Manchester (Thurs Oct 6th 5:15)


THE PROMOTION CONTINUES

For the week commencing Wednesday 5 October 2016 The Shires -single “My Universe” remains on the BBC Radio 2 “A” Playlist:

On Fri Oct 7, 2016 The Shires announced they will perform at CMCRocks in Australia in 2017 (Website)
In a UK country invasion, breakthrough duos THE SHIRES and WARD THOMAS will both land in Australia for anticipated CMC Rocks debuts in 2017.
ARTIST LINEUP includes
Dixie Chicks (USA) – Little Big Town (USA) – Kip Moore (USA) – Tyler Farr (USA) – Craig Campbell (USA) – Charles Esten (USA) – Michael Ray (USA) – Eric Paslay (USA) – Granger Smith (USA) – Drew Baldridge (USA) –
The Shires (UK) – Ward Thomas (UK)

TV Advert














Following The X Factor on Saturday 8th October ITV ran this advert:
There is NO mention of the “C” word ( Country)
Incredible new album..the stunning collection of soaring POP anthems and beautiful ballads.

LOTTO DRAW SHOW












MORE BALLS! After following former 49-year old former Labour Shadow Chancellor now Norwich City chairman/ Strictly Come Dancing contestant "Ed" Balls earlier in the week on the BBC Breakfast sofa, it was time to meet Draw machine Merlin and Ball set No.6 during Draw 2170.
The Shires performed their latest single, “My Universe”, on Saturdays Oct 8th Lotto draw show on the BBC and pressed the BIG Lotto button with a £19.4 million jackpot.
“I love the sound that you make… everyone is talking about you guys  and there’s this whole big movement to country music here now isn’t there…oh that was wonderful” said Lotto co-host Gaby Logan.
Watch it back from 40 mins on the BBC iPlayer

YOU Magazine /MAIL ON SUNDAY
The Shires were featured in YOU magazine in the Mail on Sunday on Oct 9th.
Forget rhinestones and cowboys… Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes – aka THE SHIRES – are more at home with cider and suburbia. They told Charlotte Pearson Methven about becoming Britain’s most successful ever country music act…. The pair (both in serious relationships with other people), had individually harboured secret ‘crushes’ on country music for years, but despaired of finding either an audience for it in the UK – which has not traditionally embraced its (very un-British) penchant for straight-talking and moaning over heartache – or a fellow enthusiast to make sweet music with…Read more: Daily Mail.co.uk
In the photoshoot Crissie is seen wearing a Burberry Silk Dress with Floral and Python Print Panels (Product Item 45447151; £1,995) and wore Jimmy Choo sandals.
Crissie Rhodes wears BURBERRY




























Lorraine ITV




















On Tues 11 Oct 2016 The Shires talked about their second album with Lorraine Kelly presenting her topical morning show.
Lorraine said that the new album was “a cracker” and that America “will love you”
Watch back on the ITV Player

Bob Harris Country
On Thursdays Oct 13, 2016 The Shires joined Bob Harris (OBE) in the BBC Radio 2 studio, with chat and live songs from their new album.
Listen back on the BBC iPlayer
We've heard the Facebook Status & Mutual Friend Story
so many times in interview.
Here is the now "famous" May 2013 Facebook post


























They performed "Other People's Things", and "Daddy's Little Girl" from the new album. The latter bringing a "Oh what a song that is Crissie, it's just so beautiful" response from Bob. The My Universe CD stopped in BBC machine and refused to play resulting in an impromptu live bonus performance of "A Thousand Hallelujahs"!
LIVING THE DREAM
It’s fantastic the news that it has become the fastest selling UK country music release in history – Bob Harris

"I could not feel more proud of you actually it's just such a lovely feeling" - Bob Harris
"The Shires represent the point of the arrow, the slipstream from which is pulling through all these other wonderful bands, you mention Ward Thomas, we had Dexeter on the programme with us last week. So this represents a big sea change, in not just the way country is perceived in the Britain but in how British country music is perceived in the Britain". "Congratulations on everything it's all going to go from strength to strength...all the luck in the world" said Bob

They talked about how they first met, writing and working together the way the C2C festival has lifted the UK country scene and about life in the Brit Country fast lane living the dream.

The Shires now plan to concentrate on America visiting in the next couple of weeks to showcase themselves. "We hope it goes well over there, we're really excited" shared Crissie. They will be there in Nashville playing around the time of the 50th CMA Awards and will play live in the Bluebird Cafe.

Official UK Top 100 Albums Chart (WEEK 2)
(Week Ending 20 Oct 2016)
In their second chart frame The Shires' MY UNIVERSE fell #3-7 selling another 7,036 copies (down 53% week on week) and was still in the Top 10 from last week.

 The Shires 2 week haul stands at 21,949 units which is just 669 units more than CARTWHEELS the No.1 album by fellow Brit country duo Ward Thomas sold after 2 weeks (2nd frame #5 position with 9,153 sales)
















CONNECT with The Shires:
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