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PHOTO COURTESY OF ARTIST

ROLL TIDE. Ashton Shepherd plays the Spring Fair in Puyallup at 7:30 p. m. April 18.

Alabama belle hits Puyallup

By John Larson

Anyone interested in hearing some modern country music deeply rooted in the tradition of the genre should make a point to hit the Spring Fair this weekend to see Ashton Shepherd’s performance.

Shepherd grew up in Coffeeville, Ala., a small town about 80 miles north of Mobile. Her upbringing in rural Alabama is clearly evident in her heartfelt music, from her Southern drawl to lyrics celebrating the natural beauty and culture of the South. (For those who may wonder, she is an Alabama Crimson Tide fan.)

Her parents and siblings were always listening to country music and her mother often sang to the children. “It all rubbed off on me,” she observed.

She began singing at fairs and festivals at age 8 and was already writing her own material. For her first appearance at a country showdown she performed two Patsy Cline songs, “Crazy” and “Walking After Midnight.”

At 15 she began playing guitar, which opened up many new paths for her creativity. She released her debut album independently when she was 15.

In 2006 she won a talent contest in her home state, with the prize being a slot as opening act for a Lorrie Morgan concert. A member of Morgan’s band told Shepherd he recorded demos for artists at a Nashville studio. Shepherd went to Music City and recorded three of her songs.

The demo was soon circulating around Nashville and Shepherd caught the attention of some record labels. Hesitant about signing anything, she consulted with a woman from a law firm who steered her to Broadcast Music Inc., an organization that licenses material for songwriters. From August 2006 to January 2007 Shepherd was in negotiations with labels and ended up being signed by MCA Nashville. “It all happened really fast,” she noted.

She recorded the album “Sounds So Good” last year. It was released last month.

Unlike many country singers who tend to depend on the services of outside songwriters, Shepherd wrote nine of the 11 songs on the album and co-wrote another. This certainly gives a sense of authenticity to her lyrics and music. The title track is about the joy of riding in a pickup truck on a dirt road out to a local creek. “The Pickin’ Shed” is another tune that celebrates life in the rural South. It is about a structure her husband and his brother built in their backyard where people gather to play music. The photographs for the album were shot there and Shepherd still likes to go there to jam. “That song is as realistic as it gets,” she remarked.

Shepherd said she is a fan of Nashville songwriters, but she feels her songwriting process is different. “I write when a song comes to me,” she said. “I don’t try to over-think it.”

Shepherd never had any formal training for playing or composing music. “It is a God-given talent to write and sing,” she remarked.

MCA Nashville has been very supportive of her writing her own material. Shepherd noted the label president is a big fan of hers. “The record label has believed in me 150 percent,” she said. “They like that my music comes from a special place. They let me be who I am.”

Shepherd performed on the Country Music Television Awards ceremony on April 14. She will appear on Good Morning America on the ABC network April 21. In between she is squeezing in her first visit to Washington for the Spring Fair. “I’m making this trip just for y’all.”

She will be touring around the country this spring and summer, doing shows as an opening act for a variety of artists. “I am getting the wheels rolling.”

Ashton Shepherd plays the Spring Fair at the fairgrounds in Puyallup at 7:30 p.m. April 18.

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