Kashus Culpepper Takes the Stage

The Alabama songwriter pulls back the curtain on his debut album, ACT 1.

By Adriel Smiley

Photos by Cedrick Jones

Published on January 22, 2026

For Kashus Culpepper, momentum arrived quickly, but the road there took a few unexpected turns. The Alabama native served in the United States Navy before ever stepping onto a stage, a formative chapter that shaped both his discipline and his sense of self. He actually didn’t begin playing guitar until 2020, teaching himself covers and slowly finding his voice. Just a few years later, he was performing to sold-out crowds and earning early respect from artists like Elton John and John Mayer—a rapid ascent that still feels rooted in something deeper than hype.

Following his time in the military, Culpepper took a chance on his local music scene before relocating to Nashville in 2023. When RANGE catches up with him, he’s in Toronto supporting former Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker, speaking in the hours leading up to his performance.

His debut album, ACT 1, has been years in the making. In 2025, Culpepper landed on a wave of Artists to Watch lists, from GRAMMYS.com to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe’s 25 Artists for ’25. Despite the attention, his vision remains unchanged.

He calls the project a blueprint—the foundation that will set the direction for everything that follows.

“I just wanted to call it Act 1, because it’s a beginning, debut. I’m a big fan of movies.”

The record spans genres and eras while remaining tethered to the South. Country, R&B, and rock influences coexist without feeling disjointed, creating a sound that feels expansive but familiar—an introduction rather than a reinvention.

“I think when people listen to this record, if I do anything after this, it wouldn’t feel like it’s different, like I have a lot of deep country sounding songs in this but then also have a lot of songs deeply inspired by R&B, and a lot of songs deeply influenced by rock music. It’s all the southern sounds at the end of the day for me.”

That regional identity runs deep. Culpepper credits his time in the Navy with helping him understand where his pride in the South comes from—meeting people from different states and seeing how their upbringing shaped their tastes, traditions, and sense of self.

“So I realized the reason why I like cornbread and like to put it in my chili. It’s because my grandma, my mom. The way I talk is because my paw paw and my uncles, the reason why I love football so much, or hunting or fishing. It’s all because of where I’m from.”

Talking about his heritage brings a smile to his face. “I’m just so proud of being from that huge lineage of people.”

That pride is embedded in his voice—rich, weighty, and expressive enough to make even the simplest lyrics resonate. One of the clearest examples comes on Women, where he leans fully into his southern roots and lets tone do much of the storytelling.

The bass in his voice is especially pronounced as he repeats the word woman. He explains the intention behind it.

“That’s the only thing I’m saying in the chorus so I just want to put so much soul and passion behind it”, he says. “I was really leaning on, like, old school soul, um, you know, Teddy (Pendergrass) stuff, funk, type of I was like, Man, why would they do this? And how would I bring it into life in this song?”

Despite the anticipation surrounding ACT 1, Culpepper remains measured when looking ahead—projecting the calm focus of someone who’s already lived a few lives before this one.

He’s also deeply attuned to the people who’ve supported him along the way. For Culpepper, success isn’t defined by charts or accolades—it’s about finally giving his fans a complete picture of who he is.

“I think a success for me is just releasing it, and for my fans to finally get a full project from me and understand this is just the beginning of things.”