Meet the Sunday CMA Spotlight Stage Artists
In our final CMA Spotlight Stage Artist segment, we introduce you to Kassi Ashton, Kashus Culpepper and Harper O'Neil who will all be playing on Sunday - the final night of this years Country to Country Festival in London.
While Kashus is currently scheduled to only play in London, Kassi and Harper will both be playing in Glasgow on Saturday 15th and Kassi will also be playing in Berlin on their Spotlight Stage on Sunday 9th March. For fans heading to Berlin, Harper has also been announced as an artist who will be performing around the Uber Eats Plaza outside the Uber Eats Music Hall as part of their Daytime Stages
While Kashus is currently scheduled to only play in London, Kassi and Harper will both be playing in Glasgow on Saturday 15th and Kassi will also be playing in Berlin on their Spotlight Stage on Sunday 9th March. For fans heading to Berlin, Harper has also been announced as an artist who will be performing around the Uber Eats Plaza outside the Uber Eats Music Hall as part of their Daytime Stages
Kassi Ashton
Kassi Ashton has been writing and singing songs raw enough for roadhouses but destined for stadiums since the age of 15. This California, Missouri native has already made a name for herself in music thanks to her authentic songwriting, soulfully rich voice and a stage presence that commands attention.
Her introductory release ‘California, Missouri’ stirred widespread critical acclaim from Taste of Country, CMT, The Boot, and many more. Kassi was also named as an Artist to Watch by Huffington Post, The Tennessean, and radio personality Bobby Bones. Rolling Stone lauds her as “a devilish songwriter who isn’t afraid to flip convention on its head,” while Refinery29 claims, “she blends pop aesthetics with a presence doused in no-fucks-left-to-give authenticity,” PAPER Magazine calls her “the next big country superstar,” and American Songwriter notes, “Ashton brings powerful storytelling and a sense of poetry in every release.” In 2024, Kassi was also nominated for New Female Artist of the Year at the ACMs.
Kassi defies convention and continues to deliver her signature style with confessional, catchy storytelling and dynamic vocal performances on songs including her latest, ‘I Don’t Wanna Dance’, and critically acclaimed releases ‘Called Crazy’, ‘Drive You Out of My Mind’, ‘Dates In Pickup Trucks’, ‘Heavyweight’, ‘California, Missouri’, ‘Hopeless’, ‘Violins’, and more.
Her introductory release ‘California, Missouri’ stirred widespread critical acclaim from Taste of Country, CMT, The Boot, and many more. Kassi was also named as an Artist to Watch by Huffington Post, The Tennessean, and radio personality Bobby Bones. Rolling Stone lauds her as “a devilish songwriter who isn’t afraid to flip convention on its head,” while Refinery29 claims, “she blends pop aesthetics with a presence doused in no-fucks-left-to-give authenticity,” PAPER Magazine calls her “the next big country superstar,” and American Songwriter notes, “Ashton brings powerful storytelling and a sense of poetry in every release.” In 2024, Kassi was also nominated for New Female Artist of the Year at the ACMs.
Kassi defies convention and continues to deliver her signature style with confessional, catchy storytelling and dynamic vocal performances on songs including her latest, ‘I Don’t Wanna Dance’, and critically acclaimed releases ‘Called Crazy’, ‘Drive You Out of My Mind’, ‘Dates In Pickup Trucks’, ‘Heavyweight’, ‘California, Missouri’, ‘Hopeless’, ‘Violins’, and more.
Kashus Culpepper
Alabama-born country crooner Kashus Culpepper encompasses the sound of the South. A student and reverent purveyor of Southern music – country, soul, blues, folk, and rock – Culpepper's husky, sandpaper growl bellows like a freight train over self-penned stories that are as raw and real as they are haunting. Finding his voice in church as young as five years old, it wasn't until 2020's global pandemic that Culpepper went from listener to performer, picking up a guitar and learning cover songs to play at barrack bonfires in Rota, Spain during his deployment with the Navy.
Covers soon became originals, and once he landed home on U.S. shores, Kash played dive bars up and down the Mississippi Gulf Coast, making a name for himself with the fresh-yet-reminiscent sound that oozes from his very being. Crashing into prominence now, Culpepper sold out headline club shows throughout the South before formally releasing a single song, and opened shows nationwide for sound pioneers like Charles Wesley Godwin, Charley Crockett, and NEEDTOBREATHE.
With Nashville taking notice, Culpepper found a musical home at Big Loud Records, and just dropped his first four career singles “After Me?,” “Who Hurt You,” “Out Of My Mind,” and latest “Pour Me Out.”
Covers soon became originals, and once he landed home on U.S. shores, Kash played dive bars up and down the Mississippi Gulf Coast, making a name for himself with the fresh-yet-reminiscent sound that oozes from his very being. Crashing into prominence now, Culpepper sold out headline club shows throughout the South before formally releasing a single song, and opened shows nationwide for sound pioneers like Charles Wesley Godwin, Charley Crockett, and NEEDTOBREATHE.
With Nashville taking notice, Culpepper found a musical home at Big Loud Records, and just dropped his first four career singles “After Me?,” “Who Hurt You,” “Out Of My Mind,” and latest “Pour Me Out.”
Harper O'Neill
Harper O’Neill is one of the most exciting young voices to come out of Nashville. She recently released her debut album Dark Bar Daisy which Billboard hailed for its, “wisened vocals, which expertly bends notes and imbues the lyrics with the husky realism of someone who has lived, loved, lost and seen a few things. Her song “Somebody” was spotlighted by CMT and earned Harper the feature as their “Next Up Now Artist” as well as winning American Songwriter’s 2022 Song of the Year.
After quitting her job and packing up her life to move to Nashville, Jody Williams Songs signed her to a publishing deal on the spot after hearing her songs for the first time. Harper has cultivated a fresh take on Texas soul music, her smokey and signature “night cap country sound”. O’Neill will be on the road coming up opening for Abraham Alexander, Lainey Wilson, Corey Kent, and Ashley McBryde.
After quitting her job and packing up her life to move to Nashville, Jody Williams Songs signed her to a publishing deal on the spot after hearing her songs for the first time. Harper has cultivated a fresh take on Texas soul music, her smokey and signature “night cap country sound”. O’Neill will be on the road coming up opening for Abraham Alexander, Lainey Wilson, Corey Kent, and Ashley McBryde.
C2C 2025 will be headlined by Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Cody Johnson, with Dylan Gossett, Tyler Hubbard, Chayce Beckham, Shaboozey, Tucker Wetmore, Niko Moon, Nate Smith, 49 Winchester, Avery Anna, Wyatt Flores, Tanner Adell and The Castellows performing on the main stage across the weekend in London, Glasgow and Belfast.
Tickets are currently on general sale and are available from:
Tickets are currently on general sale and are available from:
- London + Glasgow - www.axs.com/c2c / www.gigsandtours.com / www.ticketmaster.co.uk
- Belfast - www.ticketmaster.ie
- Glasgow www.gigsinscotland.com / www.axs.com/c2c / www.gigsandtours.com / www.ticketmaster.co.uk
