Kashus Culpepper | Artist to Watch – January  2026

Hometown: Alexander City, Alabama

Why They’re WXPN Artist To Watch: Kashus Culpepper is making music straight out of the American taproom. Blending a top-notch bar band blend of rock, soul, and country, Culpepper has crafted an immediate, direct sound that sings loud but also contains tons of nuance.

Though his debut album, Act I, is just coming along on January 23rd, Culpepper already has a trail of singles and accolades that have him on a fast track to stardom; he’s toured with Darius Rucker and Leon Bridges, and is a Grammy Artist To Watch as well.

Act I was recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals studio, and promises a lot from this singer-songwriter who’s been compared to Bill Withers and Bruce Springsteen alike. 

You Might Know Them From: His recent national television debut on CBS Saturday Morning, where he performed “After Me?,” “Southern Man” and fan-favorite “Man of His Word.”

Fun Fact: Kulpepper only started playing for the first time during the pandemic in 2020, when he was stationed in Rota, Spain during his deployment with the Navy.

Essential Tracks: “Mean To Me,” “In Her Eyes”

Catch Them Live: Feb. 6 at The Fillmore Philadelphia