"Where Country Grows" is a song released as a single by American country singer–songwriter Ashton Shepherd. It was co-written by Shepherd, along with Bobby Pinson. The song was first released as the title track to Shepherd's second studio album of the same name. The album and single were both issued on the MCA Nashville label.
| "Where Country Grows" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Ashton Shepherd | ||||
| from the album Where Country Grows | ||||
| Released | July 11, 2011 | |||
| Studio | Blackbird Studios | |||
| Genre | Country[1] | |||
| Length | 3:12 | |||
| Label | MCA Nashville | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Buddy Cannon | |||
| Ashton Shepherd singles chronology | ||||
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Background and content
edit"Where Country Grows" was composed by Ashton Shepherd, along with songwriter Bobby Pinson.[1] It was among Shepherd's first experiences collaborating on songwriting. In a 2011 interview, Shepherd explained she was hesitant about the process, but was pleased with the results: "Once I started, I really, really enjoyed it. I felt like we had plenty of songs to choose from."[2] The song was recorded at Blackbird Studios, located in Nashville, Tennessee. It was produced by Buddy Cannon, who had also produced Shepherd's previous singles and the album for which "Where Country Grows" was named for.[1]
Critical reception
edit"Where Country Grows" was given a positive reception from writers and critics. Billy Dukes of Taste of Country praised the song's discussion of nostalgic moments in his reviews and concluded by saying, "Only in country music can we celebrate and look forward to a good cry. 'Where Country Grows' isn't a weeper, but it is an understated stop-and-thinker."[3] Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song a "C" rating in his review of the track.[4] Matt Bjorke of Roughstock called the song "clever" and "catchy."[5] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic highlighted the song as being one of the "best poppier tunes" on her 2011 album. He described his reasoning further in his review: "...she has a knack for tracing the arc of a relationship or looking back without wallowing in nostalgia..."[1]
Release and chart performance
edit"Where Country Grows" was released as a single via MCA Nashville on July 11, 2011. It was the second single released from Shepherd's second album of the same name, which was also issued by MCA in July 2011.[3] The track spent 16 weeks on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. In August 2011, the single reached a peak position of 42 on the chart. It is Shepherd's lowest-charting single to date and her final charting single release to date.[6] A music video was released for the single in September 2011, which featured Shepherd along with her husband and extended family.[7]
Charts
edit| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] | 42 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Where Country Grows: Ashton Shepherd: Songs, reviews, credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ Duvall, Erin. "Ashton Shepherd Knows 'Where Country Grows'". Taste of Country. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ a b Dukes, Billy. "Ashton Shepherd, "Where Country Grows," Song Review". Taste of Country. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ Coyne, Kevin John. "Single Review: Ashton Shepherd, "Where Country Grows"". Country Universe. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ Bjorke, Matt. "Ashton Shepherd - Where Country Grows". Roughstock. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ ""Where Country Grows" chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ "'Ashton Shepherd – Where Country Grows' Debuts September 19". Sounds Like Nashville. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
- ^ "Ashton Shepherd Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.