The Shires sign to BMG with an international deal with Nashville-based Broken Bow Records

The Shires have signed to BMG on an international deal that will team them up with Nashville-based Broken Bow Records.

Expanded Press Release

“The dilemma for UK-based country artists is that traditional UK labels have zero leverage in Nashville”, said BMG President Repertoire & Marketing UK Alistair Norbury. “The terrific strength of BMG is working directly with my peer and colleague [Broken Bow boss] Jon Loba [to] get a total US buy-in to The Shires prior to signing the deal”.

The Shires shared: We are so happy to announce our next chapter & album will be with BMG UK and Broken Bow Record Music Group. The energy and passion of the UK and Nashville team is incredible, and we are so excited for the future!

 L to R: Jamie Nelson (BMG), Ben Earle (The Shires), Crissie Rhodes (The Shires), Alistair Norbury (BMG), Steve Morton (Union Artists) Photo credit: Joe Waghorn 

UK country phenomenon The Shires have chosen BMG to release their next album. The duo’s first three albums not only garnered near universal critical acclaim, but all three reached the Top 10 Official UK Albums Chart, an unprecedented feat for home-grown country artists.

The Shires consist of outstanding singer-songwriters Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes. Their second album, MY UNIVERSE, was the fastest-selling UK country album of all time. They have won multiple awards from the British Country Music Association including Album Of The Year, Entertainer Of The Year and Duo Of The Year. In 2017 the Nashville-based Country Music Association honored The Shires with its Global Artist Award. The duo combines clear Nashville influences with a distinctive UK lyrical approach.

Now they will release their fourth album through BMG with the US release handled by BMG’s Nashville label Broken Bow Records.

BMG President Repertoire & Marketing UK Alistair Norbury said, “The Shires have been a gamechanger for country music in the UK. We are incredibly excited that they have turned to BMG to help them take their career on to the next level.”

Key to BMG securing the deal, said Norbury, was a joint approach by the BMG UK team and their Nashville-based colleagues from Broken Bow, led by Jon Loba, BMG EVP Nashville.

Said Norbury, “The dilemma for UK-based country artists is that traditional UK labels have zero leverage in Nashville. The terrific strength of BMG is working directly with my peer and colleague Jon Loba and get a total US buy-in to The Shires and for Crissie and Ben to meet the Nashville team prior to signing the deal. Building on what they have achieved in the UK is just part of the plan. What we can achieve internationally is the real opportunity”.

Speaking from Nashville, Jon Loba said, “We are incredibly excited to be working with The Shires. Their distinctive British sensibility brings something genuinely new to country music.”

The new album will be A&R’d by Jamie Nelson (Director of A&R UK) and follows his current run of Top 10 albums with Richard Hawley, Aled Jones & Russell Watson and Kylie Minogue.

Ben and Crissie of The Shires said, “We are both so excited to be working with Alistair, Jamie and the BMG team. Their vision and excitement for our music, not just in the U.K. but also internationally is infectious! Broken Bow’s involvement, for us is the ‘Nashville’ icing on the cake and we cannot wait to get started.”

The Shires first signed to Decca in the UK Feb 2014, Universal re-launched their Decca Nashville label and The Shires were the first act of that era for the label.

They featured in a BBC Four documentory when they signed with Dot Records in October 2016 making music history by signing a ground-breaking record deal with Scott Borchetta the CEO of Nashville-based Big Machine Label Group under the historic Dot Records imprint which subsequently shuttered. On March 13, 2017 Big Machine Records announced a restructuring of its promotion staff with former Dot Records Dir./National Promotion Michelle Kammerer moving to BMLG RECORDS.

BLOG: The Shires hit America! BigMachine Label Group President/Ceo Scott Borchetta signs The Shires

Their 3rd album ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE charted Top 3 in the UK main album chart (No 1 in Country Chart) in May 2018. They embarked on a huge UK tour (May/ June 2018) that included at SOLD OUT headline show at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

In their 10th week at retail ACCIDENTALLY ON PURPOSE (Decca UK; first charted 3 May 2018) fell off the top 100 from previous weeks No.89 (700 estimated units; 10-week total 34,500; chart run 3-14-32-41-41-32-33-54-89-below 100) and did not return to the Top 100. It was placed at No.2 on UK Country iTunes chart (#331 UK iTunes all-genres).

By comparison sophomore album MY UNIVERSE after 10 frames was at No.48 with a 10-week total of 48,500 (Chart Run: 3-7-14-27-36-45-43-45-43-48) and that album spent 29 weeks on the UK Official UK Top 100 chart.

Last year The Shires supported Shania Twain on her UK Tour and they are one of the headliners at this years Black Deer Festival. In June & July they open for Carrie Underwood on her UK Tour (dates & Tickets Ticketmaster UK) including SSE Arena, Wembley (Thurs 4 July)

CONNECT with The Shires:

ABOUT BMG

In their words: We are a new kind of music company for a new world. A new world which demands that deals are transparent and fair. A new world in which service to artists and writers is key. The only significant international company to combine publishing and recordings under one roof, our purpose is clear - to support your career and maximize your income.

VISION: That’s why we offer the best creative support, provide the best access to platforms and work hard to maximize the value of each and every copyright, ensuring all our artists receive all payments promptly and accurately.

We are not a technology company – though we use the best technology. We are not just a music publisher or a record label – although we offer both services. 
WEBSITE: www.bmg.com/uk | BMG UK 5 Merchant Square, London, W2 1AS

ABOUT Broken Bow Records

BMG acquired Nashville-based independent Broken Bow Records in 2017, in its biggest single investment in a record label. It includes the labels Broken Bow Records, Red Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records, Wheelhouse Records and the music publisher Magic Mustang Music

Broken Bow’s roster includes a string of Number One country artists including Jason Aldean, Dustin Lynch, Jimmie Allen and Granger Smith.

Broken Bow Records:

Chase Rice (Dack Janiels Records), Dustin Lynch, Everette, Jason Aldean (Macon Music), Lainey Wilson, Tyler Farr (Night Train Records)

Stoney Creek Records:

Adam Craig, Jimmie Allen, King Calaway (24 Entertainment), Lindsay Ell, Parmalee, Randy Houser

Wheelhouse Records:

Granger Smith, Kid Rock (Top Dog Records), Kristian Bush, LoCash, Runaway June, Trace Adkins, Zac Brown Band (Zac Brown Collective)

Other BBRMG artists:

Billy Ray Cyrus, Blanco Brown, Brooke Eden, Chase Bryant

BBR MUSIC GROUP (www.bbrmusicgroup.com)

BBR Music Group’s roster continued to build on their global impact over the first two weekends in March 2019. Dustin Lynch and Chase Rice took to the C2C (Country to Country 2019) main stage in London, Glasgow and Dublin; while ACM nominees Jimmie Allen and Runaway June as well as Lainey Wilson and BMG’s Twinnie performed multiple sets across the O2 Arena and ACM New Female Artist of the Year nominee Lindsay Ell made an appearance at the festival’s first-ever Berlin date, before setting out for shows in Amsterdam, Munich and Cologne as part of the CMA’s ‘Introducing Nashville’ series.

An incredible story ushered the UKs Twinnie (Twinnie Lee Moore) from humble beginnings in York, England to Nashville, TN. She signed a record deal with BMG Rights Management on 23 August 2017

Twinnie signs with BMG

The critically acclaimed country songstress, actress, and model shared this journey on her 2019 Better When I’m Drunk EP for BMG—which dropped March 1. On the way to this point, she developed a sound of her own and delivered show-stopping performances at the likes of Country2Country Festival and more. In the aftermath, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and many other tastemakers would christen her as a bright rising star.

Credit: Instagram Photo

Representative of her growing influence, she went from starring in West End musicals such as We Will Rock You, Rock of Ages, and Footloose to joining the cast of The Wife alongside Glenn Close, Jonathan Pryce, and Christian Slater. Along the way, she also lent her voice to music by Ed Sheeran signee Jamie Lawson and co-wrote “Black and White” and “First Flight Out” on The Shires’ gold-selling BRAVE, as well as co-writing with Kylie Minogue amongst others for their own artist projects’. She also turned the page on her next musical chapter with the first single and title track from the EP, “Better When I’m Drunk” which has had massive exposure on Country Hits Radio.

She joined the CMT Next Women Of Country UK Tour in May joining Cassadee Pope & Logan Brill (Instagram). Whilst recently in Nashville she performed at the CMT Songbird Supper Club at the Historic Neihoff Building and attended the 2019 CMT Music Awards at Bridgestone Arena on June 05, 2019 (see Getty Image). She will be opening for Lauren Alaina on her July UK Tour.