# Where Country Grows > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Where_Country_Grows > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Where_Country_Grows.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_Country_Grows > Source revision: 1356692983 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Where Country Grows | type = studio | artist = [Ashton Shepherd](/source/Ashton_Shepherd) | cover = WhereCountryGrows.jpg | alt = | released = {{Start date|2011|07|12}} | recorded = | studio = | genre = [Country](/source/Country_music) | length = *35:11 (standard edition) *48:29 (deluxe edition) | label = [MCA Nashville](/source/Universal_Music_Group_Nashville) | producer = [Buddy Cannon](/source/Buddy_Cannon) | prev_title = [Sounds So Good](/source/Sounds_So_Good) | prev_year = 2008 | next_title = This Is America | next_year = 2013 | misc = {{Singles | name = Where Country Grows | type = studio | single1 = [Look It Up](/source/Look_It_Up_(song)) | single1date = January 3, 2011 | single2 = [Where Country Grows](/source/Where_Country_Grows_(song)) | single2date = July 11, 2011 }} }} '''''Where Country Grows''''' is the second studio album by American [country music](/source/country_music) artist [Ashton Shepherd](/source/Ashton_Shepherd). It was released on July 12, 2011 via [MCA Nashville](/source/Universal_Music_Group_Nashville).{{cite magazine|last=Skates|first=Sarah|title=Ashton Shepherd Sets Sophomore Release|url=https://www.musicrow.com/2011/04/ashton-shepherd-sets-sophomore-release/|magazine=[MusicRow](/source/MusicRow)|date=April 13, 2011|access-date=July 6, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110417004331/https://musicrow.com/2011/04/ashton-shepherd-sets-sophomore-release/|archive-date=April 17, 2011|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine|last=Rosen|first=Jody|author-link=Jody Rosen|title=Artist to Watch: Hard-Nosed Country Standout Ashton Shepherd|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/artist-to-watch-hard-nosed-country-standout-ashton-shepherd-20110622|magazine=[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)|date=June 22, 2011|access-date=July 6, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624211435/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/artist-to-watch-hard-nosed-country-standout-ashton-shepherd-20110622|archive-date=June 24, 2011|url-status=usurped}} The album's first single, "[Look It Up](/source/Look_It_Up_(song))" reached the Top 20 on the ''[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))'' [Hot Country Songs](/source/Hot_Country_Songs) chart.{{cite news|last=Hannaford|first=Jim|title=Home-grown country: Ashton Shepherd setting sights higher|url=https://www.al.com/entertainment-press-register/2011/05/home-grown_country_ashton_shep.html|newspaper=[Press-Register](/source/Press-Register)|date=May 12, 2011|access-date=March 20, 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250815013542/https://www.al.com/entertainment-press-register/2011/05/home-grown_country_ashton_shep.html|archive-date=August 15, 2025|url-status=live}} The [title track](/source/Where_Country_Grows_(song)) was released as the album's second single in July 2011. ==Critical reception== {{Music ratings | rev1 = [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) | rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/where-country-grows-mw0002135787|title=''Where Country Grows'' - Ashton Shepherd|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|publisher=[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)|access-date=March 20, 2026|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026094628/http://www.allmusic.com/album/where-country-grows-mw0002135787|archive-date=October 26, 2012|url-status=live}} | rev2 = ''[Boston Globe](/source/Boston_Globe)'' | rev2Score = Positive{{cite news|url=http://articles.boston.com/2011-07-11/ae/29762013_1_ashton-shepherd-country-music-reba-mcentire|title=Review: Shepherd mixes contemporary sound on CD|last=McCall|first=Michael|newspaper=[Boston Globe](/source/Boston_Globe)|access-date=July 23, 2011}}{{dead link|date=May 2026|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} | rev3 = ''[Country Weekly](/source/Country_Weekly)'' | rev3Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine|url=http://www.countryweekly.com/reviews/where-country-grows-ashton-shepherd|title=''Where Country Grows'' by Ashton Shepherd|last=Phillips|first=Jessica|magazine=[Country Weekly](/source/Country_Weekly)|access-date=July 17, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426105430/http://www.countryweekly.com/reviews/where-country-grows-ashton-shepherd|archive-date=April 26, 2013|url-status=dead}} | rev4 = ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'' | rev4Score = Positive{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/arts/music/new-cds-by-ashton-shepherd-and-currensy-review.html?_r=1|title=New Music by Currensy and Ashton Shepherd|last=Ratliff|first=Ben|author-link=Ben Ratliff|newspaper=[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)|date=July 11, 2011|access-date=July 23, 2011|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202091954/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/12/arts/music/new-cds-by-ashton-shepherd-and-currensy-review.html?_r=1|archive-date=February 2, 2016|url-status=live}} | rev5 = ''[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)'' | rev5Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/where-country-grows-20110712|title=Where Country Grows|last=Rosen|first=Jody|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=March 20, 2026|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190920074933/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/where-country-grows-126708/|archive-date=September 20, 2019|url-status=live}} }} ''Where Country Grows'' received positive reviews from music critics. Jessica Phillips of ''[Country Weekly](/source/Country_Weekly)'' gave the album 3 and 1/2 stars out of 5, complimenting her songwriting and personality, while drawing comparisons to fellow country artists [Miranda Lambert](/source/Miranda_Lambert) and [Sunny Sweeney](/source/Sunny_Sweeney). She also stated that "Ashton's twangy songs are fearless, introspective and unabashedly country, which just might peg her as a new [Loretta Lynn](/source/Loretta_Lynn)." In his review for [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic), [Stephen Thomas Erlewine](/source/Stephen_Thomas_Erlewine) referred to Shepherd as "a powerhouse singer that there's never a relaxed moment on the record." He also went on to compliment the set as "mak[ing] considerable effort to brighten and broaden her sound, to bring in listeners who may not have been seduced by the late-night vibes of ''[Sounds So Good](/source/Sounds_So_Good)''." [Jody Rosen](/source/Jody_Rosen) of ''[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)'' gave the album 4 stars out of 5, favoring Shepherd's voice, which she found "perfect for her wise, witty, tough-minded songs." ''[Boston Globe](/source/Boston_Globe)'' reviewed the album positively as "merg[ing] her deep-country style with a contemporary country sound, setting a modern groove to her rural Alabama persona," while highlighting the song "I'm Good" as ranking among country classics by [Tammy Wynette](/source/Tammy_Wynette) and [Reba McEntire](/source/Reba_McEntire). ''[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)'' favorably describing the record's biggest strength in Shepherd's accented vocals, and considered her vocal control a "real weapon." ==Track listing== {{track listing | total_length = 35:11 | title1 = [Look It Up](/source/Look_It_Up_(song)) | note1 = edit | writer1 = {{hlist|[Robert Ellis Orrall](/source/Robert_Ellis_Orrall)|[Angaleena Presley](/source/Angaleena_Presley)}} | length1 = 2:59 | title2 = I'm Good | writer2 = {{hlist|[Ashton Shepherd](/source/Ashton_Shepherd)|[Dean Dillon](/source/Dean_Dillon)|Dale Dodson}} | length2 = 3:25 | title3 = [Where Country Grows](/source/Where_Country_Grows_(song)) | writer3 = {{hlist|A. Shepherd|[Bobby Pinson](/source/Bobby_Pinson)}} | length3 = 3:12 | title4 = I'm Just a Woman | writer4 = A. Shepherd | length4 = 4:38 | title5 = More Cows Than People | writer5 = {{hlist|A. Shepherd|Pinson}} | length5 = 2:41 | title6 = Beer On a Boat | writer6 = {{hlist|[Rhett Akins](/source/Rhett_Akins)|[Marv Green](/source/Marv_Green)|[Ben Hayslip](/source/Ben_Hayslip)}} | length6 = 3:06 | title7 = While It Ain't Rainin' | writer7 = {{hlist|A. Shepherd|Troy Jones}} | length7 = 4:10 | title8 = Tryin' to Go to Church | writer8 = {{hlist|A. Shepherd|[Brandy Clark](/source/Brandy_Clark)|[Shane McAnally](/source/Shane_McAnally)}} | length8 = 3:20 | title9 = That All Leads to One Thing | writer9 = A. Shepherd | length9 = 4:01 | title10 = Rory's Radio | writer10 = A. Shepherd | length10 = 3:39 }} {{track listing | total_length = 48:29 | headline = Deluxe edition bonus tracks | title11 = Look It Up | writer11 = {{hlist|Orrall|Presley}} | length11 = 2:59 | title12 = One Summer Gone | writer12 = {{hlist|A. Shepherd|Tara Shepherd}} | length12 = 3:40 | title13 = Keepin' It Rural | writer13 = {{hlist|Dallas Davidson|Hayslip|[Jimmy Yeary](/source/Jimmy_Yeary)}} | length13 = 3:01 | title14 = What If It Was | writer14 = A. Shepherd | length14 = 3:38 }} ==Personnel== * Wyatt Beard – background vocals * Mark Beckett – [drums](/source/drums) * Jim "Moose" Brown – [Hammond B-3 organ](/source/Hammond_B-3_organ), [piano](/source/piano), [Wurlitzer](/source/Wurlitzer) * Pat Buchanan – [electric guitar](/source/electric_guitar) * [Melonie Cannon](/source/Melonie_Cannon) – background vocals * [J.T. Corenflos](/source/J.T._Corenflos) – electric guitar * [Dan Dugmore](/source/Dan_Dugmore) – [steel guitar](/source/steel_guitar) * Kevin "Swine" Grantt – [bass guitar](/source/bass_guitar) * Tony Creasman – drums, [percussion](/source/percussion) * Kenny Greenberg – [baritone guitar](/source/baritone_guitar) * Rob Hajacos – [fiddle](/source/fiddle) * John Hobbs – Hammond B-3 organ, piano, Wurlitzer * Mike Johnson – steel guitar * Randy McCormick – [clavinet](/source/clavinet), Hammond B-3 organ, piano, [synthesizer](/source/synthesizer) * [Mickey Raphael](/source/Mickey_Raphael) – [harmonica](/source/harmonica) * [John Wesley Ryles](/source/John_Wesley_Ryles) – background vocals * [Ashton Shepherd](/source/Ashton_Shepherd) – lead vocals * Joe Spivey – fiddle * Bobby Terry – [acoustic guitar](/source/acoustic_guitar) * [Scott Vestal](/source/Scott_Vestal) – [banjo](/source/banjo) * [Billy Joe Walker Jr.](/source/Billy_Joe_Walker_Jr.) – acoustic guitar ==Chart performance== ===Album=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Chart (2011) ! Peak
position |- | US [''Billboard'' 200](/source/Billboard_200){{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=ashton shepherd|chart=all}}|title=Chart listing for ''Where Country Grows''|magazine=[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))|publisher=[Prometheus Global Media](/source/Prometheus_Global_Media)|access-date=July 21, 2011}} | align="center"| 37 |- | US ''Billboard'' [Top Country Albums](/source/Top_Country_Albums) | align="center"| 11 |- |} ===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Single ! colspan="2"| Peak chart
positions |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="45"| [US Country](/source/Hot_Country_Songs) ! width="45"| [US](/source/Billboard_Hot_100) |- | rowspan="2"| 2011 | align="left"| "[Look It Up](/source/Look_It_Up_(song))" | 19 | 95 |- | align="left"| "Where Country Grows" | 42 | — |- | colspan="4" style="font-size:8pt"| "—" denotes releases that did not chart |- |} ==References== {{reflist}} {{Ashton Shepherd}} {{Authority control}} Category:2011 albums Category:Ashton Shepherd albums Category:MCA Records albums Category:Albums produced by Buddy Cannon --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Where Country Grows](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_Country_Grows) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_Country_Grows?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.