A summer groove arrives just in time for the season that inspired it. Kashus Culpepper announced ‘Act I: Summer Nights’, a four-song EP out June 19 that builds on his acclaimed debut album ‘Act I’. The new collection leans into a lighter, groovier side of the Alabama artist-writer, a sonic addendum that stretches his versatility in a fresh direction. Pre-save it here.
The music emerged from an exploratory session with producer and co-writer Mike Robinson, the two finding a groove and following it. The result includes buoyant cuts like “Let Me Show You Love” and “Miss You Much Longer.” The EP keeps the instrumental backbone of its predecessor intact, including prominent pedal steel, opening with a cover of Glen Campbell’s immortalized “Southern Nights” and closing on the sultry, slower “Til The Sun Goes Down.”
Recorded in Nashville, Culpepper tapped former collaborators Oscar Charles, Luke Preston, and Grady Block, among other creatives, to bring the songs to life. His rise has been swift. In just two years he’s earned a 2026 Americana Honors & Awards Emerging Act of the Year nomination, praise from Elton John, who called him like Bill Withers making country music, and a nod from John Mayer, who called him as good as it gets.
The accolades stack high, from Shazam’s 2026 Fast Forward Class to the Opry NextStage Class of 2025, with appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, CBS Saturday Sessions, and The Kelly Clarkson Show. His sound has carried him onto the road with Leon Bridges, Sierra Ferrell, and Darius Rucker, and this year he’s playing major-market headline dates plus runs supporting Niall Horan, Shaboozey, Jelly Roll, Riley Green, Thomas Rhett, Stephen Wilson Jr., and Wyatt Flores.
It’s a warm, confident set from one of the most talked-about new voices in Southern music.
Track Listing:
“Southern Nights” (Allen Toussaint)
“Let Me Show You Love” (Kashus Culpepper, Todd Clark, Seth Ennis, Mike Robinson)
“Miss You Much Longer” (Kashus Culpepper, Grady Block, Mike Robinson)
“Lights Fade Interlude” (Kashus Culpepper, David Crutcher, Mike Robinson)
“Til The Sun Goes Down” (Kashus Culpepper, Nathan Bess, Oscar Charles, Luke Preston)
2026 Tour Dates:
June 8 – Wilmington, NC – Live Oak Bank Pavilion (supporting Jelly Roll)
June 10 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater (supporting Jelly Roll)
June 11 – Pineville, KY – Laurel Cove Music Festival
June 13 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater (supporting Jelly Roll)
June 18 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Albany Med Health System at SPAC (supporting Jelly Roll)
June 19 – Greenfield, MA – Green River Festival
June 20 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater (supporting Jelly Roll)
June 23 – Syracuse, NY – Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview (supporting Jelly Roll)
June 27 – Stuttgart, Germany – US Army Garrison Stuttgart
July 4 – Calgary, CAN – ATCO Field at Spruce Meadows (supporting Charley Crockett)
July 9 – Nashville, TN – GEODIS Park (supporting Thomas Rhett and Niall Horan)
July 11 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena (supporting Thomas Rhett)
July 15 – Portsmouth, NH – Prescott Park
July 16 – Hartford, CT – The Meadows Music Theatre (supporting Thomas Rhett)
July 17 – Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion (supporting Thomas Rhett)
July 18 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium (supporting Thomas Rhett and Niall Horan)
July 25 – Macon, GA – Capitol Theatre
Aug. 8 – Elkhorn, NE – The Club at Indian Creek (supporting Wyatt Flores)
Aug. 13 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion (supporting Thomas Rhett)
Aug. 14 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts (supporting Thomas Rhett)
Aug. 15 – Amagansett, NY – The Stephen Talkhouse
Aug. 18 – Nantucket, MA – The Chicken Box
Aug. 19 – Nantucket, MA – The Chicken Box
Sept. 10 – Denver, CO – Fiddlers Green (supporting Riley Green)
Sept. 11 – Albuquerque, NM – First Financial Credit Union Amphitheater (supporting Riley Green)
Sept. 12 – Lubbock, TX – United Supermarkets Arena (supporting Riley Green)
Sept. 17 – Ridgefield, WA – Cascades Amphitheater (supporting Riley Green)
Sept. 18 – Bend, OR – Hayden Homes Amphitheater (supporting Riley Green)
Sept. 19 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre (supporting Riley Green)
Sept. 24 – Long Beach, CA – F&M Bank Amphitheater (supporting Riley Green)
Sept. 25 – Los Angeles, CA – Greek Theatre (supporting Riley Green)
Sept. 26 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre (supporting Riley Green)
Oct. 3 – New York City – Radio City Music Hall (supporting Shaboozey)
Oct. 6 – Philadelphia, PA – Highmark Skyline Stage at The Mann (supporting Shaboozey)
Oct. 7 – Columbus, OH – Kemba Live! Outdoor (supporting Shaboozey)
Oct. 9 – Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom (supporting Shaboozey)
Oct. 10 – Minneapolis, MN – The Armory (supporting Shaboozey)
Oct. 13 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre (supporting Shaboozey)
Nov. 21 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company (supporting Stephen Wilson Jr.)
Dec. 2 – Pittsburgh, PA – Citizens Live at the Wylie (supporting Stephen Wilson Jr.)
Dec. 9 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy (supporting Stephen Wilson Jr.)
Dec. 11 – Nashville, TN – The Truth (supporting Stephen Wilson Jr.)