| Born from the singular artistry that quickly earned him spots on culture’s most illustrious artist to watch lists, acclaimed Southern crooner Kashus Culpepper announces the anticipated arrival of his debut album Act I, out January 23. Today the GRAMMY® Artist to Watch offers the unforgettable ‘Mean To Me’, and its accompanying official music video directed by Lewis Cater (Kacey Musgraves’ ‘The Architect’), available now. “Creating music has been the greatest joy of my life,” shares Culpepper. “What a magical thing it is. My debut album Act I serves as a beginning of that journey.” The depth of influences in Culpepper’s musical rolodex is reflected within Act I’s 18 tracks and previously recognised by icons like Elton John who claimed the Alabama-artist is, “if Bill Withers made country music,” [here] and John Mayer who shared Culpepper is “as good as it gets.” Country, soul, blues, folk and rock are all represented on the album – songs with banjo and pedal steel, cello, violin and harp too. Co-writing each song, Act I was recorded in Muscle Shoals and produced by Brian Elmquist. Today’s playful yet earnest ‘Mean To Me’ was written alongside Oscar Charles, Diego Urias and Matt Warren. Featuring acclaimed collaborators Sierra Ferrell (‘Broken Wing Bird’) and Marcus King (‘Southern Man’), Act I includes career defining lyrical masterworks like ‘After Me?’, ‘Cherry Rose’ and ‘Alabama Beauty Queen’. The Alabama-native’s ‘Believe’ is making a quick ascent at US Triple A radio checking in the Top 20 this week as he wraps a run with Darius Rucker, following tours with Sierra Ferrell and Leon Bridges. Culpepper will headline throughout the remainder of the year before joining Eric Church in 2026. He recently made his national television debut on CBS Saturday Morning, performing ‘After Me?’, ‘Southern Man’ and fan-favourite ‘Man of His Word’. Beginning his recording career just over a year ago, Culpepper has been recognised as one of GRAMMY.com’s 25 Artists to Watch in 2025, Apple Music Zane Lowe’s 25 Artists for ‘25, 2025 Variety Power of Young Hollywood Impact Report, Opry NextStage Class of 2025, Billboard’s February 2025 Country Rookie of the Month, 2025 Amazon Music Bonfire Artist to Watch, Apple Music’s February 2025 Country Riser of the Month, 2025 Pandora Country Artist to Watch and Martin Artist Showcase Class of 2025. Act I Tracklist - Intro (Kashus Culpepper, Jordan Dozzi, Jacob Durrett)
- Southern Man (feat. Marcus King) (Kashus Culpepper, Bear Rinehart)
- Alabama Beauty Queen (Kashus Culpepper, Luke Preston, Diego Urias)
- Woman (Kashus Culpepper, Anderson East)
- Break Me Like (Kashus Culpepper, Grady Block, Hank Compton)
- Believe (Kashus Culpepper, Foy Vance)
- Stay (Kashus Culpepper, Jordan Dozzi, Jacob Durrett)
- Mean To Me (Kashus Culpepper, Oscar Charles, Diego Urias, Matt Warren)
- Broken Wing Bird (feat. Sierra Ferrell) (Kashus Culpepper, Brian Elmquist)
- Better Weather (Kashus Culpepper, Luke Preston)
- That’s The Feeling (Kashus Culpepper, Brian Elmquist)
- Man Of His Word (Kashus Culpepper, Natalie Hemby)
- In Her Eyes (Kashus Culpepper, Brent Cobb, Oscar Charles)
- Is It True (Kashus Culpepper, Rhett Akins, Rocky Block)
- After Me? (Kashus Culpepper, Mark Addison Chandler)
- Out Of My Mind (Kashus Culpepper, Brian Elmquist)
- House On A Hill (Kashus Culpepper, Rhett Akins, Jimi Bell)
- Cherry Rose (Kashus Culpepper, Mikky Ekko, Brian Elmquist)
Italics indicate writing credits CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR KASHUS CULPEPPER: “Culpepper offers up his organic sound with a brand of hard-earned, raw realness that can’t be feigned.”
– Billboard “Kashus Culpepper is turning heads in roots music – and the mainstream.” – Good Country “…Culpepper has revived the melodic crooning of ‘80s and ‘90s country, buoyed by his blues influence…”
– GRAMMY.com “…the brilliantly talented Kashus Culpepper…” – MusicRow “I dare anybody with a pulse to listen to Culpepper’s vocal performance here without getting goosebumps…”
– No Depression “…his hauntingly beautiful country-Americana-inspired sound, with a voice that harkens back to yesteryear and a perspective road-worn from gospel singing in his youth, military service as an adult and true-grit living throughout.” – PEOPLE “…it’s obvious why his career has been fast-tracked. The handful of songs he’s released so far take a smart, often witty route… performed in a style he classifies as ‘southern sounds’…” – The Guardian “Culpepper’s style is measured and soulful, like the best blend of fury and sound.” – The Tennessean For more information, visit kashusculpepper.com. ABOUT KASHUS CULPEPPER
Alabama-born country crooner Kashus Culpepper encompasses the sound of the South. A student and reverent purveyor of Southern music – country, soul, blues, folk and rock – Culpepper’s husky, sandpaper growl bellows like a freight train over self-penned stories that are as raw and real as they are haunting. Finding his voice in church as young as five years old, it wasn’t until 2020’s global pandemic that Culpepper went from listener to performer, picking up a guitar and learning cover songs to play at barrack bonfires in Rota, Spain during his deployment with the Navy. Covers soon became originals, and once he landed home on U.S. shores, Kash played dive bars up and down the Mississippi Gulf Coast, making a name for himself with the fresh-yet-reminiscent sound that oozes from his very being. Crashing into prominence, Culpepper sold out headline club shows throughout the South before formally releasing a single song. With Nashville taking notice, Culpepper found a musical home at Big Loud Records and will release his debut album Act I on January 23. Culpepper has joined Leon Bridges, Sierra Ferrell and Darius Rucker on tour this year. Named one of GRAMMY.com’s 25 Artists to Watch in 2025, Apple Music Zane Lowe’s 25 Artists for ‘25, 2025 Variety Power of Young Hollywood Impact Report, Opry NextStage Class of 2025, Billboard’s February 2025 Country Rookie of the Month, 2025 Amazon Music Bonfire Artist to Watch, Apple Music’s February 2025 Country Riser of the Month, 2025 Pandora Country Artist to Watch and Martin Artist Showcase Class of 2025, The Guardian declares: “it’s obvious why his career has been fast-tracked. The handful of songs he’s released so far take a smart, often witty route… performed in a style he classifies as ‘southern sounds’…” | 
