Country girl Shepherd on the Nashville fast track

By Ken Tucker

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - The distance between Leroy, Alabama, and Nashville is 383 miles, according to Mapquest. MCA Nashville newcomer Ashton Shepherd made the trip in light speed, at least by Nashville standards.

Shepherd was signed in April 2007, and her first single was released in September, the same month that she made her Grand Ole Opry debut. Her album "Sounds So Good," will be released March 4.

Universal Music Group Nashville chairman Luke Lewis says the accelerated pace was warranted. "Some people would accuse us of rushing it, but a lot of it had to do with a feeling that it would be great to capture her work and her songs before they became affected by the business," he says.

What Lewis hoped to capture was the musings on life of a young married mom from rural America. Raised in Coffeeville, (population 360), Shepherd later moved to even smaller Leroy. "You blink and you miss it," she says.

As quick as her major-label debut has come, Shepherd's journey took a lifetime. "This is what I was born to do," the 21-year-old says in her deep Alabama accent. "I've always sung. I've got notebooks where I was writing down songs when I couldn't even spell correctly, from the time I was 5, 6, 7 years old."

As a teenager, Shepherd recorded a CD at a studio owned by Alabama guitarist Jeff Cook that she sold at local shows. But she was hesitant about following her dream. "I always had fearful thoughts about the fame and about the industry," she says. "But yet, I knew better and felt a guilt inside for just playing on my back porch. I felt like God had given me more talent than to just sit there."

A truck ride with husband Roland and a six-pack of beer convinced Shepherd to take a shot. "We were talking about the music ... and listening to one of the CDs I made when I was 15. I said, 'I just feel like this needs to be out there."'

After winning a local talent contest, Shepherd eventually met Shelby Kennedy, director of writer/publisher relations for performing rights organization BMI's Nashville office, who introduced her to Lewis. He signed her on the spot.