Summer isn't here yet, but it already belongs to The Shires, the two part-perfect harmony union with a fine line in Country class.
Earlier this year, Crissie and Ben made history when their debut album Brave entered the official UK album chart inside the Top 10 - the first British band ever to achieve the feat.
The Shires - practically local, hailing from Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire - have their hearts in the Home Counties and their heads in Nashville, USA.
They are picking up fans like kids pick up bad habits - Mark Ronson and Chris Evans are among those who have been wowed by the terrific duo, and now they are spreading their spell further, with a decent run of UK dates this month.
The Shires return to The Stables in Wavendon on Monday, playing to a sell-out crowd.
Crissie and Ben went On Track with Total MK...
The song that first awakened your musical senses
Crissie - There’s many songs in the past which have made me want to sing, but a stand-out song for me was Barton Hollow – The Civil Wars.
I first watched them on Jools Holland. They were in complete synchronisation with each others voices.
I’d not heard anyone perform like that before; I just thought they were so unique. I was captivated instantly.
Ben - I heard ‘Need You Now’ by Lady Antebellum about three years ago and from then I was completely hooked on Country.
Physical or digital - how do you take your music?
We both listen and discover music online. Spotify is the main source, its great for discovering similar artists to who you are currently listening to. Crissie has recently started to buy physical CDs and Vinyls.
It’s exciting to be able to read the in-lay, who they have thanked, who wrote the songs and to see the artwork.
The first time you thought 'Music - this is the job for me'
Crissie - As I was growing up I always wanted to be a big star like Britney Spears. She was THE pop princess at that time.
I would dance around my living room pretending I was in her video.
I never thought at that time that I would one day sign a record deal and be recording and performing an album.
My initial thought of actually making a career in music was to be a session singer. I learned about session singers in college and thought that would be a great way to earn a living, because I would be performing all of the time and being paid for doing what I loved.
Ben - I can’t really remember a time when music wasn’t going to be my career. My granny tells me that when I was four I used to walk around saying I was going to be a singer, and I would do an Elvis routine!
Your best on stage memory...
Country to Country 2015. The whole event was so much fun.
Particular highlight was performing on the Satellite stage inside the main arena.
Hearing so many of our fans singing our songs back to us and finding out that our debut album Brave had just gone into the Top 10 of the main album charts.
The crowd was electric. The support we had at that festival was more than we could have imagined.
And the worst gig you've ever done
It was one of the first gigs we performed together.
It was at a local pub, which was full of people drinking.
I was hired to sing on my own, like I was used to doing every weekend, but I thought it would be good practice for us two to perform a few of our own songs. As we performed songs such as Brave and Black and White, barely anyone turned to acknowledge we were there at all.
A couple of people applauded after we finished but we pretty much went unnoticed. It was pretty soul destroying for the both of us.
This performance didn’t put us off, it made us work harder.
What made you take up singing, and the guitar?
Crissie - My love of singing started at a very young age. My Gran taught me all of the war time songs and a lot of old country songs.
She still is my biggest influence. Singing came very naturally for me and I would frequently sing around the house and out-and-about!
Ben - I started playing the piano and violin when I was seven. I was never pushed to play a musical instrument or to practise which I think gave me a much greater love for music.
I used sit at the piano and improvise for hours. I wrote my first song when I was 13 and started playing the guitar around the same time.
Which one song by another artist do you wish you had written
Ben - Gravity by John Mayer. There isn’t a song I relate to more. It sums up all my feelings around success, failure, temptation and being human. Every lyric means something to me.
And one - by yourself - which holds special significance
Crissie – A song that I wrote about my dad passing away when I was younger. It’s not a song that I would release because it’s so personal and I wouldn’t want to change anything about it. I’m happy just playing my keyboard and singing it at home.
Ben - Our song Brave means a lot to me personally. The music industry can be tough, and that song always picks me up when my faith is low. We have had quite a lot of messages from our fans saying the song has helped them through rough times too.
The fact that our music can help people holds more significance than anything.
If you could step into the shoes of another musician, living or dead, who would it be and what would you do?
Crissie - The Queen of Country – Dolly Parton. Her life seems extraordinary. She has sung with all of the great voices of country, and great musicians too.
I’d love to re-live her Glastonbury performance last year. It looked like she had a lot of fun – and it's Glastonbury too!
Are there any current musical influences that you might look to
We are influenced by bands such as Lady Antebellum and The Civil Wars.
We love the pop-country sound of Lady A, they are seasoned performers and sound brilliant together in three part harmony.
We also love the close harmonies of the Civil Wars. They were so in complete synchronisation with each other when they sung.
And any genre of music that you simply can't stand?
Crissie - Opera, I appreciate their vocal techniques, discipline and how much they sacrifice for their voice but I simply wouldn’t choose to listen to it. I do however enjoy singing in that style behind closed doors at home.
Ben - Meditation music. I do a lot of yoga, and I actually find meditation music really stresses me out.
I’m like, where’s the melody?!? Please give me a melody!
Finally, plug your Stables show for us - what's on the cards?
We are coming back to the Stables for the third time now.
When we first came we played in the small room in July 14, we said back then how we’d love to perform in the main auditorium.
To be invited back in November 14 to a sell-out crowd in the main auditorium was very exciting, but to be doing it again is a real pleasure.
Our home support has been brilliant, we are so thankful to everyone who has come to watch us so far.
We cannot wait to perform the songs from our debut album for the home crowd and look forward to meeting everyone after.
The Stables date is sold-out, but try for returns only by calling the box office on 01908 280800.
