Made from the Dirt is the debut studio album by American country music artist Kassi Ashton. It was released on September 20, 2024, through a joint partnership between MCA Nashville and Interscope Records.[1] It includes the singles "Drive You Out of My Mind" and "Called Crazy".
Background
Ashton, who studied at Nashville's Belmont University, landed a publishing deal in 2016, and subsequently signed a recording contract in a joint partnership with Universal Music Group and Interscope Records the following year.[2] After a string of standalone single releases and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, "Dates in Pickup Trucks" was ultimately released as Ashton's debut to country radio in 2022, though it was not included on the album,[3] and the album was released seven years after initially signing her record deal.[2]
Content
Ashton wrote or co-wrote all 10 tracks on Made from the Dirt,[4] and co-produced the album with Luke Laird, with additional production on select tracks from Oscar Charles and Todd Clark.[5]
Described as equal parts "grunge and glamour", Ashton came up with the album title while watching a live feed of a couture fashion show[2] and it was inspired by the duality of her upbringing that found the singer "celebrat[ing] the unique incongruities that have shaped her thus far", and the cover artwork features her wearing an outfit that she made herself.[5] Ashton wrote the title track because "we are made all the better every time we get back up. We are more beautiful because of the scars, stories, and bulls***. I hope after listening down, you feel seen, you feel validated, and you feel like the baddest to ever do it".[6] In creating the album, Ashton cited musical influence from the likes of Stevie Nicks, Eric Church, and Chris Stapleton, among others,[7] and set out with no theme in mind, instead opting to just be vulnerable, collaborating with well-known songwriters such as Lori McKenna, Rhett Akins, and Luke Laird.[2]
Singles
"Drive You Out of My Mind" was released as the album's lead single in March 2023, pulling in first-week adds from 42 stations.[8] It reached a peak of number 42 on the BillboardCountry Airplay chart in September 2023. "Called Crazy" was issued as the second single on May 6, 2024.[9] Ashton was chosen as Audacy, Inc.'s 'Launch' Artist, lending additional platform support to "Called Crazy".[10] It debuted at number 53 on BillboardCountry Airplay ahead of its release as a single,[11] and pulled in adds from 43 stations by its impact date.[9] It became her first song to enter the top 40 of the chart in its seventh chart week,[12] and reached a peak of number 32 in August 2024.[13]
"Son of a Gun", "The Straw", and "I Don't Wanna Dance" were also released as promotional singles leading up to the album release.[14][15] "Son of a Gun" is described as her origin story, with Ashton drawing inspiration from the way her parents met.[7]
