Ward Thomas: How country music twins from England broke Nashville first

The usual route to stardom involves making it in the UK before crossing the pond to break America. But English twins Catherine and Lizzy Ward Thomas are doing things the other way round, having been embraced by Nashville before heading back to raise their profile here.

The sisters, 22, who grew up in Hampshire and perform as Ward Thomas, first travelled to the hub of US country music in 2014, thanks in part to their singing teacher, who had played there.

They were taken in by its musical community, including 20-time Grammy-winner Vince Gill.

They then recorded their first album, From Where We Stand, which reached number one on the iTunes country chart in 2014 and won UK album of the year at the British Country Music Awards, and wrote the material for their second.

Called Cartwheels, it is their first on a major label — Sony — and is due out in September.

Catherine, far left, said: “It all started when we were at school. We played a song to our singing teacher who was a session singer in Nashville for many years.

"She decided she wanted to send some of our stuff over there and the next thing we knew we were on a plane, and recorded our first album out there. It was a bit of a whirlwind.”

Lizzy added: “We started going out to Nashville more and more. I think they were excited that two British twins wanted to be part of their music scene.”

Of their working relationship, she said: “When we are in a writing room we’re very, very equal and we don’t bicker.

“We’re quite opposite in personalities so that’s why we get on so well. We don’t know what it’s like not to be together. It seemed natural to have a career together too.”