BRITISH country duo The Shires will follow up their headline performance on the Glastonbury Festival Acoustic Stage this weekend by co-headlining the Platform Festival at The Old Station, Pocklington, on July 16.

Looking forward to a series of festival engagements at Cornbury Music Festival, Lakes Festival, Bracknell Festival, Lytham Festival, Castle Rock and Cottingham Music Festival, Ben Earle and Crissie Rhodes say: "We're very excited to be getting back on the road again. We toured so much of last year it felt like we needed a break by Christmas but since we've been in the studio, our thoughts have returned to the road.

"We can't wait to get back on that tour bus and play some of the new music we've been working on. The album is in full production now and we hope to have news on that soon, but we can definitely say it's on the way."

This summer's dates follow an intense period of song-writing for the Shires, who have been working on their new songs in Nashville, recording with "top country music producers" at Sound Stage Studios, where country superstars Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum have cut records.

The Shires were the first British country act to achieve a Top Ten album in their home country, when making their breakthrough last year with the gold-selling Brave. They have made numerous television appearances, including performing at the BBC Music Awards and sharing the sofa on Graham Norton’s BBC1 chat show with Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro.

Earle and Rhodes will be joined at the Platform Festival, organised by Pocklington Arts Centre, by co-headliner Gretchen Peters, Seafret, Badly Drawn Boy, Danny & The Champions Of The World, The Dunwells, Empire, Amelia White, Dan Webster and more besides from 1pm on July 16. Tickets can be booked on 01759 301547 or or at seetickets.com/