Who are the country duo set to beat Jamie T to No 1?

Jamie T
Ward Thomas
Entertainment
Thursday 8 September 2016 at 8:05pm

It looks like a musical battle of David and Goliath.

Yet indie star Jamie T appears poised to be swept aside in the race for number one album tomorrow by the relatively little-known country music duo Ward Thomas.

The 22-year-old Hampshire twins Catherine and Lizzy Ward Thomas look likely to triumph in a head-to-head race for the coveted top slot with their album Cartwheels.

They are expected to knock Barbara Streisand off No 1 when the results are officially announced tomorrow - and figures released today put them 750 sales ahead of Jamie T.

If they do win out, they will become the first ever British country music act to top the UK album charts.

It could be an especially bitter defeat for Jamie T as it means that he will once again be denied his first Number One as he releases his fourth studio album Trick.

His highest chart ranking so far was with second album Kings and Queens, which peaked at Number 2 after its release in September 2009.

Meanwhile, Ward Thomas' highest position was a lowly No 41 with their debut album From Where We Stand - which then sank out of the charts entirely after five weeks.

While country may not be a top seller in the UK, Catherine Ward Thomas said she and her sister "fell hard" for the Nashville sound after they were introduced to the genre in their teenage years.

The sisters, who were brought up on a farm, got their big break after a demo fell into the hands of a Nashville session musician who spotted their talent.

Catherine has said "it might seem unusual" for two young singers to be so into country music but they "love the sound and the stories".

"Cows, chickens and goats have the same language in rural Hampshire as they do below the Mason-Dixon line!"

The sisters could join a list of country rock royalty Credit: Ward Thomas

Here are some of the country hits that did make it into the UK charts: