Joel Culpepper is an English R&B singer-songwriter from London, England. With a style inspired by British fashion and modern culture, he has become known for his distinctive vocal style and well received stage performances.
Career
2009–2015
Debuting in 2009, Culpepper's first mixtape, The Adventures of Pensmith, was written and produced in two weeks. This was followed in 2011 with another mixtape, Joel Culpepper Meets J Dilla, a tribute to the late producer and rapper J Dilla. This release sought to build on previous successes and add to the growing interest from bloggers and music fans. In 2012 Culpepper released his first EP, Skydive, a project that received support from several notable DJs. The first single off the EP, "Passenger", was championed by Annie Mac, DJ Target and MistaJam. Culpepper's next single, "Pilot Light", was released on 7 July 2014 alongside B-side "Some Nights". Culpepper often collaborates with Swindle, and was featured on Swindle's album Long LiveThe Jazz, as well as on Bruh Jackman's California.
2016–present
Culpepper released his latest EP, Tortoise, in January 2017 via Pledge Music, the latest milestone in his career. Its title is inspired by one of Aesop's Fables the Tortoise and the Hare. The EP features production by Grammy Award-winning producer Jimmy Hogarth, American producer Roy Davis Jr, Kay Young and Jools Holland's Musical Director Phil Veacock, who scored and arranged the strings and horns. It journeys through different genres, from traditional 1960s and 1970s inspired R&B to contemporary electronic R&B and hip-hop. The first single taken from the EP is "Don't Mean I'm in Love", and was released on 2 June 2017. Culpepper also released "Woman" in 2017 and performed a colorsxstudios video. In 2019, Culpepper featured on DJ Yoda's collaborative release "Home Cooking". He also released "Sheriff" with multi-instrumentalist Redhino.
Touring
May 2015 saw Culpepper support Paloma Faith on her Australian tour. Culpepper also tours with his band The Transformers who, as the name suggests, play at least two instruments during the set. In April 2019, Culpepper performed two nights in a row at the Cully Jazz Festival in Switzerland, where he was well received on two stages, Le Club and Chapiteau.
Critical reception
Following the release of "Pilot Light" Culpepper was BBC introducing artist of the week during the month of June 2014. Since 2012 and the release of Culpepper's debut EP, Skydive, he has garnered attention from the likes of BBC Radio 1 and BBC 1Xtra. George Ergatoudis dubbed him the "UK's answer to Frank Ocean". Culpepper continues to generate fresh interest with radio support from DJ Target, Trevor Nelson, Annie Mac, Charlie Sloth and Toddla T. Culpepper was among a select few acts to receive coveted support from the Momentum Music Fund, a partnership between the PRS Foundation and Arts Council England, in association with Spotify.
