kashus culpepper

During my endless rabbit-hole searches when I’m exploring different music and songs, I stumbled upon this artist who captivated me from the first tremor of his timbered and raspy, soulful voice. Voices that are gravitational, that instill and awaken frisson.

This series’ feature today is Kashus Culpepper.

As perfectly described by Dan Isbell, half of the host duo on God’s Country podcast, Culpepper’s voice is a “Bentley on a gravel road.” It’s smooth, raw, and gritty. The first song I heard and got hooked on was “Man of His Word,” and it was all over after that. The 27-year-old artist is a heavy hitter in my dem Southrn playlist and someone I continuously return to if ever I’m in need of some deep, dark, and sentient blues/country.

Only about 3 years into the game, and he is taking the country atmosphere by storm.

With the soul of B.B. King and Bill Withers, the rasp of Bryan Adams and Chris Stapleton, this Alabama-based singer has a sound that can break and mend your heart with simply his hums, let alone his songwriting and raspy melodies.

Born and raised in the small town of Alexander City, Alabama, Culpepper says, “music has always been my best friend.” Although he was an athletic superstar playing football until his junior year, where he decided to dedicate his efforts to wrestling, where he became the State’s Champion Wrestler, his senior year at Benjamin Russell High, he mentions how he enjoyed these alone times where he would just listen to music.

In Alexander City, he has two siblings - an older sister and a younger sister, along with his grandparents, who were a major influence in his life. After high school, he joined his local firehouse as a firefighter. Impressed by the ladies, he decided that he would become an ER nurse, but would need help in applying for school, that’s where his Fire Chief recommended looking into the military, since they can cover that. He then enlisted in the Navy, where he was able to travel the world, doing something to make a difference. He lists Columbia as the most transformational time for him, where he spent two months building schools for the kids of the area - he told the hosts of God’s Country podcast how he got violently ill while there; however, he continues to say it was the best and most rewarding time during the Navy.

Also, while in the Navy, he picked up his guitar. The quarantine had just hit while he was deployed in Spain and locked down at the base there. He didn’t have anything but time. A fellow bunkmate found an old Yamaha guitar where Kashus started learning a few songs and performing them at illegal bonfires, getting paid in Sangria from the people in Spain. They would put in their requests, he would learn the songs, perform the songs, and continue to get absolutely smashed on Sangria!

After leaving the Navy in 2022, he started performing at open mics locally, he was then recruited to a cover band called Black Matter Value, playing anywhere from Northern Mississippi to Mobile to New Orleans. He later left because he wanted to add more relevant and fresh songs to appease the upcoming college tours. A band member was opposed, leading to his exit from the group and proceeding to perform solo.

He did his casino gigs all around the coast and worked with various bands and artists, singing covers. At about a year and a half, he had a sort of epiphany where he realized it wasn’t what he wanted to be doing, wanting more so to work more on originals and make a name for himself. He declares that at that time, to finish out his gigs already set while working on his music. His younger sister then pushed him to start posting on TikTok to gain traction. He did a cover of Tyler Childers’ song that went viral and got him on a flight to NYC where he met his now manager and made the move to Nashville.

Now this is the fun part!

Culpepper is quickly moving up on the charts and working with notable artists like Sierra Ferrell (another folky favorite of mine) on their new single, “Broken Wing Bird.” Not only is he doing that, but he’s burrowing into our souls. The charismatic, hilarious, and insanely talented man who, like a lot of us, breaks conversations with the infamous “what was I talking about?” is infectious.

This is an artist that I can see growing and blowing up - shoot, he already is, but he can be one of the greats in this space.

Culpepper is currently touring, and you can find out about his shows on his website, kashusculpepper.com.

He’s coming down to the Keys last week of January, so you can probably catch me there!

Check out this Fort Nash’s Nashville Night Sessions with Kashus Culpepper, Watch here!