The lore of Cain Culto is layered and complex. A former worship pastor-turned-queer renegade with a story of contradiction and evolution, his provocative take on left-field pop and hip-hop with global influences is unlike any other.
A DIY auteur, Culto develops bold, uncompromising music and visuals that pull at the threads of faith, politics, race, and capitalism in the form of wild-eyed, original pop music.
The name ‘Cain Culto’ refers to the shadowy, fratricidal Old Testament character of Cain, and the Spanish word for worship ‘Culto’. Born in Florida, Andrew Padilla was raised in a Colombian and Nicaraguan household, listening to salsa and cumbia. At the age of 5, his family moved to Kentucky, where he learned bluegrass fiddle and attended a fundamentalist evangelical church.
Culto spent his youth hiding his queerness, trying to conform with his surroundings - a familiar tale of religious trauma many queer people experience - ultimately leading to a breakdown, and hospitalization in 2021. He ended his acclaimed Christian band ‘Ecclesia’ and broke from the church, reemerging as Cain Culto.
The Culto persona represents a realignment with spirituality, sexuality, and cultural heritage. The ethos is built around challenging dogma, knowing oneself, and protecting freedom of thought.
Dedicated to making some of the boldest, and most fearless alternative music around, Culto brings together high and low art, political protest, satire, controversy, and undeniable pop magic as an antidote to mass-produced music culture. A skilled singer, rapper, producer, and visual artist, Culto has the skills to realize his ambitious vision, performing a suite of instruments across his songs, self-styling, and directing his music videos
