Two fast-rising acts, The Shires & Ward Thomas, on a joint tour that is set to be a landmark moment for the UK scene.
The bands will take it in turns to headline on a series of dates around the UK. This is the moment fans of fresh and exciting country music have been waiting for!
Country music in the UK has been having a renaissance in recent times, what with the success of the television series ‘Nashville’ and of the huge Country 2 Country event in London, which saw some of the biggest US names playing the UK. It isn’t just American talent that’s enjoying this resurgence though: The UK has produced a new wave of talent who are putting a British spin on the down south sounds of Nashville.
Chief among this new wave are The Shires and Ward Thomas, two bands from the Home Counties who have taken inspiration from the sounds of Nashville legends such as Johnny Cash and Dixie Chicks.
Not content to merely copy the US acts though, these bands are flying the flag for a British Country music that reflects the lives of young people living in the UK. This shared vision has led the bands to team up and take their music on the road for the nationwide ‘Home-grown tour’.
Both bands have come a long way since they played the pop-up stages of C2C in March 2014, with both acts having an A-Listed track on BBC Radio 2 and The Shires an iTunes UK Country No.1 with their debut single Nashville Grey Skies, while Ward Thomas's debut album "From Where We Stand" went to No.1 on both the OCC Country Chart and iTunes' Country Chart.
The seeds for this tour were sown when the two bands ran into each other in a road house in Nashville while they were both paying pilgrimage to their spiritual home. The chance to take their shared message out on the road together seemed too good to miss and the ‘Home-grown tour’ was born.
Tickets on sale now
Tour Dates
Nov 4th: Birmingham Glee Club Last few tickets available
Nov 6th: Liverpool Academy 2
Nov 7th: Bristol Thekla Last few tickets available
Nov 9th: Oxford Academy 2 Last few tickets available
Nov 10th: London Bush Hall – Ward Thomas to headline SOLD OUT
Nov 11th: London Bush Hall – The Shires to headline SOLD OUT
Nov 13th: Manchester Band on the Wall Last few tickets available
Nov 14th: Gateshead The Sage SOLD OUT
Nov 16th: Leeds Brudenell Social Club Last few tickets available
Nov 17th: Norwich Waterfront
Nov 19th: Dublin Upstairs at Whelan’s, Dublin2
Nov 20th: Belfast McHugh’s Basement Bar
Nov 22nd: Yorkshire, Pocklington Arts Centre SOLD OUT
Nov 23rd: Glasgow King Tuts SOLD OUT
Nov 24th: Middlesbrough the Empire
Nov 26th: Nottingham Rescue Rooms Last few tickets available
Nov 27th: Milton Keynes The Stables
