Kashus Culpepper (Big Loud)

Alabama-born crooner Kashus Culpepper is a newcomer to the Triple A format who encompasses the sounds of the south. As a student of the musical landscape from his Alabama roots, Culpepper captures that authentic Americana blend of Country, Soul, Blues, Folk, and Rock, accented with husky R&B vocals and lyrics that are raw and relatable. Finding his voice in church as a child, it wasn't until Culpepper was deployed in Spain with the Navy that he really started nurturing his singing career. That’s when he went from listener to performer, learning cover songs to play at barrack bonfires.

"My buddy found a guitar for me and I just started learning," he recalled in an interview with People magazine. Covers soon became originals, and once he landed home on U.S. soil, Culpepper started playing dive bars and open mic nights up and down the Mississippi Gulf Coast, making a name for himself with a sound that is fresh yet familiar. Before long, Culpepper found himself selling out headlining club shows throughout the South - even before formally releasing a single song. With Nashville taking notice of his rising star, he found a home at Big Loud Records. The label will release his debut album, the aptly titled Act 1, on January 23, 2026. 

“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 range of influences that make up Culpepper's musical arsenal is reflected within the album’s 18 tracks. The aforementioned sounds of Country, Soul, Blues, Folk and Rock are all represented with the use of banjo and pedal steel on some tracks, or the warm tones of cello, violin and harp on others. Act I was recorded in Muscle Shoals and produced by Brian Elmquist. Culpepper collaborates with Sierra Ferrell on a classic Country-style duet called “Broken Wing Bird,” and embraces southern Rock with Marcus King on “Southern Man.” “In Her Eyes” is an album highlight that builds to a powerful, sing-along crescendo, and the playful yet earnest “Mean To Me” is an uptempo ode to a hard-drinking love interest. 

The album’s lead single, “Believe,” is making a quick ascent at Triple A radio. It was #11 and climbing on the JBE singles chart at the end of November, while it also had reached #19 on the Non-comm chart. Culpepper spent 2025 touring with the likes of Leon Bridges, Sierra Ferrell and Darius Rucker, and he is poised for even bigger things when the full album drops in January. 

Photo by Cedrick Jones