Born in Peckham before moving to Catford, South East London, Joel Culpepper’s journey of musical self-discovery began as an ardent fan. From a young age, he was raised on the work of the legends – watching from the top of the stairs as his mother swooned to the soulful vibes of Teddy Pendergrass on the record player, attending church during the growing era of Kirk Franklin and Fred Hammond’s Gospel cool. For Joel, a true sense of belonging came with the discovery of both Prince and Neo-Soul, a fusion that shaped his ear for soaring falsetto and loose-swinging beats. Joel has amassed 15 million views and counting for his COLORS performance of ‘Woman’, which features on his 2017 EP ‘Tortoise’. With the joyful style and ambitious focus of his highly acclaimed 2021 debut album ‘Sgt Culpepper’, Joel attracted the attention of Later… With Jools Holland, where he performed the record’s opening track ‘Tears of A Crown’ live at Abbey Road Studios. He makes his return with his EP ‘Happiness Is Only A Few Miles Away’ – an incredibly honest piece of work that showcases why Joel has become renowned as a pioneer of his unique neo-soul sound. The announcement comes with the release of new single ‘Free’ featuring Tom Misch (who also produced the EP).