‘Off the Grid’ was finally released in September 2021, more than a year after the album had been mastered.
Covid had required the band to wait until there was there was a realistic prospect of playing their songs live. Finally, in the Summer of 2021, venues started making plans to open up and the rules began to relax. A support slot on an Autumn tour was on the cards, but who with?
The boys spent the summer rehearsing relentlessly to be ready to go on the road.
Finally, an opportunity came up, better than they could have hoped for. Ward Thomas, the award-winning UK country vocal duo, had pinned down the dates and venues for their ‘Invitation’ tour to promote the album of the same name – postponed three times since April 2020. The County Affair would play support.
The tour was 20 dates across the whole of November, from Bournemouth to Aberdeen, Swansea to Norwich, concluding with two nights at The Union Chapel in London. Covering over 3,000 miles, the guys played to capacity crowds in venues typically accommodating 600-800 people, bringing their music to over 10,000 new fans.
Most importantly the 9-song set went down well with audiences that mostly had no prior knowledge of the band. Enthusiastic responses from the crowds and admiring reviews from critics showed that the boys could really entertain people.
Eponymous song The County Affair was a strong opener and typically won audiences over right from the off. Bourbon Breakfast was a real gear-changer that made the crowd realise there were songs worth closely listening to. Closing the set with Go Tell Your Father made for an upbeat finale and a chance to push the current single, by this time being played on over 100 stations including BBC Leeds, Nottingham, Essex and Wales.
All over the UK, the boys were truly back in town.
As 2021 came to an end, they had proved once again that they could put on a live show to enthral audiences and perform at professional levels higher than ever before.
The scene was set for the next chapter in the story….