Over the past decade, Ward Thomas — twin sisters Catherine and Lizzy from rural Hampshire — have helped shape the sound of modern UK country music. Since their 2014 debut From Where We Stand, they’ve topped the UK Albums Chart (Cartwheels, 2016), picked up the CMA’s Jeff Walker Global Achievement Award, collaborated with the likes of James Blunt and Jack Savoretti, and proved that country music can have a distinct British voice.
British country duo Ward Thomas — twin sisters Catherine and Lizzy from Hampshire — discuss their latest single “I Do”, written as an emotional wedding gift, and reflect on their role in shaping the UK country scene. In this exclusive interview, they share stories behind their 2023 album Music in the Madness, talk about the growth of British country music, and reveal plans for their autumn 2025 acoustic tour. Expect candid insights on songwriting, sisterhood, and bringing their harmonies to intimate stripped-back shows across the UK.
Now, with their fifth album Music in the Madness (2023) still resonating, they’ve released one of the most personal songs of their career — “I Do,” written by Lizzy as a wedding gift for Catherine — and are preparing to hit the road again for an intimate UK acoustic tour this autumn.
“Britain’s First Country Stars”
Often dubbed Britain’s first country stars, the title still makes them smile.
“It’s really cool to see it grow,” Lizzy says of the UK scene. “We’ve been doing it from the start, when it started becoming a thing — the first year of C2C Festival literally. And that’s a real compliment, saying that we’re the first UK British stars.”
Catherine agrees, though she admits they sometimes feel a little modest about the ‘pioneer’ tag:
“Maybe we’ve got some impostor syndrome. Country is huge in the US and we’re just catching up over here. We go over there, learn what we can, and then do our own thing here. There are many of us all doing the same thing.”
The UK Country Scene — and Its Future
Both sisters have witnessed huge changes in the past decade. “The future of the country scene is definitely growing,” says Lizzy. “You see young and upcoming country artists at festivals — Kezia Gill is brilliant and has toured with us. You go to the Americana Awards in the UK and it’s really growing.”
Catherine adds: “We love that we can write the kind of music we want to write and tour the way we want to tour. Hopefully you’ll hear a lot more from us soon.”
Music Born from Madness
Their latest album, Music in the Madness, was written in turbulent times — war, post-Covid uncertainty, and a world in flux. “It’s important to try and find the light in the dark,” Catherine says. “That’s a big part of why we keep wanting to write music.”
For Lizzy, the closing track “Love Does” encapsulates the record: “Through the chaos, it’s so important to remember what really grounds us. We just wanted to spread that message.”
Writing “Love Does”
The song – raw, stripped back, and deeply moving – was born from an honest conversation with frequent collaborator Rebecca. “We were talking about the kind of music we want to hear now that we’re approaching our 30s,” Catherine explains. “Sometimes I want to hear about keeping a marriage together, bringing children into the world, and navigating huge life changes with grace and uncertainty. Love can be the one thing that doesn’t explain anything — and explains everything all at once.”
Lizzy laughs: “A songwriting session with us is talking deeply, going on tangents, and somehow a song comes out at the end.”
A Wedding Gift That Became a Song
Their new single “I Do” started as something far more personal — Lizzy’s wedding speech to her twin.
“Being twin sisters, we’ve experienced almost everything together,” Lizzy says. “Seeing Catherine getting married was like me giving her away, rather than our father. It’s a song to someone so close to you — but it could be a friend, anyone. If people can relate to it in their own way, that’s brilliant.”
Catherine still remembers hearing it for the first time: “It was at the wedding, and I cried along with every single other person there.” Lizzy admits she pre-recorded it because she was too emotional to sing live: “I hid while everyone cried!”
After performing it on tour, they knew it had to be released: “We’ve gotta get these songs out because a lot of people seem to enjoy them,” says Lizzy.
The British Perspective
While rooted in country traditions, Ward Thomas write from their own lives. “We’re British — we grew up here and write music from our own experiences,” says Lizzy. “Country music is about honesty and a story. That’s what Dolly Parton’s all about, and hopefully we can do our version with harmonies.”
Catherine laughs when asked about uniquely British touches: “We mentioned a tractor in one of our songs — ‘Ugly Broken Down Tractor.’ There’s no town called Ugly in America! A lot of our topics are uniquely British. [The song] ‘Where The Sky Is’, feels like country, like it belongs in the English countryside. When you when you hear the lyrics in the chorus of that, it’s like it could only ever be the countryside here.”
On Stage — and Stripped Back
This autumn, the sisters will hit the road for an intimate acoustic tour. “We love being able to sit and talk about the songs like it’s in our back garden,” Catherine says. Lizzy adds: “It’s how we wrote them, and it showcases what we’re all about. It’s more interactive with the audience too.”
Fans can expect “lots of chat” and stripped-back versions of favourites — and maybe even a few surprises.
Sisterhood and Songs That Still Give Them Goosebumps
After years of writing and touring together, their bond is stronger than ever. “We’ve grown as adults, and that’s made our music more about the stages of our lives,” says Lizzy. “Lizzie’s basically like a second mum to my kids,” laughs Catherine “We’re very much in sync. Our husbands are best friends. So there’s no space at all, which is how we like it, obviously!”
One song that still hits home is “Safe.” “We sang it in Manchester right after the Ariana Grande bombing,” Lizzy recalls. “The whole crowd sang it with us. Every time we perform it, it takes me back to that moment.”
Taking It Back to Where It All Began
This autumn, Ward Thomas will head out on an acoustic tour that strips their music back to its roots. For Catherine, the format is all about intimacy: “We just love being able to sit and talk about the songs and do the gig like it’s in our back garden or our sitting room. We can play them how they were written.”
Lizzy agrees, adding that the shows will be a true reflection of their songwriting process: “It’s how we wrote the songs and how we wanted to tell the stories. We’re all about harmonies and music, and we thought, let’s showcase the songs from where we started and what we’re all about. The songs lend themselves to that format, and it’s more interactive with the audience too.”
Fans can expect an evening of storytelling, raw harmonies, and stripped-back versions of favourites — plus the chance to hear the stories behind them. As Catherine puts it: “Just lots of chat, very stripped-back versions of the songs, and you get the insight into the writing of them.”
Still Country at Heart
Despite all the touring, chart success, and industry recognition, Catherine and Lizzy remain country to the core. “We grew up on a farm surrounded by animals,” Lizzy says. “I’ve now married a farmer and have a horse and a Shetland. Every day I look like I’ve been dragged through a bush!”
Or as Catherine puts it: “We’re the British version of cowgirls.”
Ward Thomas
Members: Twin sisters Catherine & Lizzy Ward Thomas
Origin: Petersfield, Hampshire, England
Genre: Country-pop, Americana
Breakthrough Album: Cartwheels (2016) — first UK country album to reach No.1 on the UK Albums Chart
Signature Style: Harmony-rich vocals, heartfelt storytelling, and a modern British twist on Nashville sounds
Accolades: From Where We Stand won UK Album of the Year at the British Country Music Awards. Cartwheels certified Gold in the UK
