Joel Culpepper - Sgt Culpepper (Album)

South-East London’s Joel Culpepper releases his debut album Sgt Culpepper, out now on his own imprint Pepper Records and Mr Bongo, in partnership with Believe. Sgt Culpepper includes recent highlight single ‘Tears of A Crown’, recently performed on the season finale of Later...With Jools Holland, 6Music A-Listed track ‘Thought About You’, and ‘Black Boy’.

Standing on the shoulders of the musical giants we all know and love while also bringing his peers and mentors with him, Sgt Culpepper, sees Joel craft a love letter to a community that lives simultaneously in the past and future, a retro-modernity that never feels stifled or contrived. Alongside executive production from Swindle (Ezra Collective, Mahalia) the record has mastering from Joker (Stormzy, Kojey Radical) and production credits from legendary pop producers Guy Chambers (Tina Turner, Tom Jones, Mark Ronson) and Jimmy Hogarth (Sia, Amy Winehouse). Further co-producers include Raf Rundell (The 2 Bears), Tom Misch, British multi-instrumentalist Redinho, South London Roc Nation signee Kay Young, Linden Jay (Poppy Ajudha, Rejjie Snow), and Shawn Lee (Saint Etienne, Kelis). Somehow, it all comes together to feel inherently Joel, the sort of record that would have slotted seamlessly into his Mother’s vinyl collection. Joel comments, “I want to live up to the legacy and significance of soul, but also do it my way. I want people to remember that soul & funk are still formidable forces within the music landscape in 2021." 

Two years in the works, you can hear every note of the thought that was poured into Sgt Culpepper, every participant holding an implicit understanding of what they wanted to achieve as a team.