“Last Chance to See Us”: Chart-Topping Country Duo Announces Extended Hiatus After 13 Years Together

The Shires are calling it quits. In an Instagram post, the British duo, which is made up of Crissie Rhodes and Ben Earle, announced that they’re taking an extended hiatus after 13 years together.

“We have some news for you. We are going to be taking a break from The Shires,” Rhodes said in the video, with Earle adding that their upcoming tour will be their last “for the foreseeable future, for a very long time.”

Rhodes went on to reveal that she was the one to make the split decision.

“I didn’t make it very easily. It was quite a hard decision to make, because, obviously, The Shires have been our life for 13 years. We recorded and released six albums. It’s literally been our every day for all those years,” she said. “It’s not been made lightly, but I want to take some time with my family and be at home for a little while.” 

Though Rhodes was the one to make the call, Earle assured fans that “totally” gets and supports her decision.

“Being on the road is so tough and making music and stuff,” he said, before noting that he still plans to pursue music in the future. 

“Who knows, one day we might come back and make some music together,” Earle said. “We haven’t fallen out. We’re still friends. We’re still very good friends.”

That is perhaps best evidenced by the fact that the duo is still planning to see their upcoming tour through. The trek will take them all over the U.K. throughout the month of November.

“We’ve got a big tour coming up, so we’re very excited about that,” Rhodes said. “The whole band, we’ve got all glittery outfits. It’s going to be very exciting.”

The Shires Thank Their Fans

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The video ended with both artists expressing their gratitude to their fans.

“Thank you so much for all the love over the years as well. It’s been incredible. We have the best fans. We feel so blessed,” Earle said, before Rhodes chimed in to agree, “We couldn’t have done any of this without you guys. So thank you very much for all of your support. We love you.”

In the caption of their post, The Shires reiterated the reason for their split.

“After a busy 13 years together and six albums’ worth of stories shared on stages all across the world, we’re going to be taking time away from The Shires,” the caption read. “With two young daughters at home, Crissie will be taking a well-deserved break to focus on family life and spend more time with her quickly-growing girls. It’s a bittersweet decision, one that Ben completely understands and supports as a parent himself.”

“We’ll both be cheering each other on for whatever our next chapters hold and who knows, maybe one day we’ll be making music and touring again,” the post continued. “But for now, this will be our final tour as The Shires for the foreseeable future. We can’t wait to sing, dance and make some beautiful memories together on this tour, as we celebrate the amazing journey we’ve all been on together.”

The post concluded by stating, “Thank you for all the love you’ve given us, we’ll hold onto it forever.”

Photo by Jo Hale/Redferns