Just when you thought that the future of country couldn’t get brighter, Kashus Culpepper came out firing last year with his debut single, “After Me?.”
Mixing in a beautiful blend of country, blues and soul, the Navy veteran has already flexed his versatility, collaborating with the likes of Marcus King on the rockin’ “Southern Man” and 4x Grammy-winner, Sierra Ferrell on the tender, Willie Nelson-inspired “Broken Wing Bird” back in June.
After getting nods to open for the likes of Whiskey Myers, 49 Winchester and Charles Wesley Godwin during the summer, as well as Darius Rucker throughout his upcoming Canadian tour in the fall, Culpepper has caught the eye of both alternative and mainstream stars in the adolescence of his career thus far.
Recently signing to Big Loud Records and joining the likes of the aforementioned Godwin, Morgan Wallen, Gavin Adcock, Dylan Gossett, ERNEST and more, it feels as if Culpepper is on the verge of breaking out in a big way.
With a total of eight songs that can only be described as masterclasses of both introspective songwriting and genre-bending, Culpepper was attempting to go a perfect 9/9 when he announced that his ninth single, “Believe,” was releasing back on August 8th.
Describing the song in a recent Instagram post, Culpepper noted that he centered “Believe” around his faith and resisting the temptation not to lose it despite the darkness in the world:
“‘Believe’ is a song I wrote with one of my musical idols, Foy Vance. It’s about my faith, and how no matter how dark life gets, I really believe there are angels around me, making sure I don’t fall too far into the darkness.”
In case you aren’t familiar with Vance, he’s a long-time co-writer on Ed Sheeran’s early albums, penning tracks with the English songwriter such as “Galway Girl,” “Barcelona,” and “Tenerife Sea.” Additionally, he appears on Miranda Lambert’s heartbreaker “Pushin’ Time,” which appears on the ACM Album of the Year-winning, The Weight of These Wings.
What results is yet another bluesy soul-stirrer from Culpeper. In the broody track, he grapples with his past, which is filled with bloodshed and friends-turned-enemies. Flipping the song entirely, he balances the darkness present in the verses and leans on his faith in the chorus where he sings:
“But all that I know right now
Is the angels, the all come around
And hold me up in my darkest hour
Yeah, that’s what I believe
Lord, that’s what I believe”
If there ever was a question on whether Culpepper could deliver some of the most chill-inducing vocals in the genre, he’s proven it here and then someone. His gritty, soulful performance here on “Believe” coupled with some brilliant production from Brian Elmquist that seamlessly blends the “Jenni” singer’s blues and gospel sensibilities simply feels heavenly (no pun intended).
Though there’s stiff competition due to the seemingly endless amount of talent out there lately, it’s becoming more and more apparent after each subsequent release that Culpepper is the complete package — a world-class vocalist with the ability to touch on a multitude of different subjects with his songwriting.
Listen here:
Kashus Culpepper Tour Dates:
August 27 – Louisville, KY – Louisville Waterfront Park
August 31 – Lake View, IA – Lake View & Black Hawk Lake
September 2 – Columbia, MO – Central Bank Downtown Live
September 3 – Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live!
September 18 – Jonesboro, AR – First National Bank Arena
September 19 – Alexandria, LA – Laborde Earles Coliseum
September 20 – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater
September 25 – Middlesboro, KY – Levitt AMP Middlesboro Music Series
