Following his triumphant sold-out debut UK & Europe headline tour last year, Stephen Wilson Jr. will be returning this summer, which will finish with a show at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Tickets are available here.
Known for his rousing and emotive performances, the fast-rising US star will be bringing his signature blend of indie, grunge and country and recently released a deluxe edition of his critically-acclaimed debut double album søn of dad via Big Loud Records.
The new deluxe edition features two new tracks taken from his viral Live at the Print Shop performance including the moving dedication to his late father 'I’m A Song' and a gripping reinterpretation of Ben E. King’s 'Stand By Me', was called “the cover you need to hear” by Rolling Stone and has garnered over 20 million views across social media. The release also features 10 acoustic versions of fan favourites like ‘Cuckoo’, ‘Year To Be Young 1994’, ‘Father’s Søn’, ‘Grief is Only Love’ and more.
The album made the Top 10 on the Apple Music Country Albums Chart in over 20 European countries and spent over 7 weeks at #1 in the US.
Wilson Jr.’s career skyrocketed with his late night television debut on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers, followed by performances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s#LateShowMeMusic series and Later… with Jools Holland. CBS News also ran his first major television interview, which was followed by a performance of three songs on CBS Saturday Morning.
Released five years to the day of his father's death, søn of dad is a 22-song tribute to Stephen Wilson Sr. that has garnered widespread critical acclaim from Billboard, Rolling Stone, American Songwriter, CMT, Whiskey Riff, Wide Open Country, Holler, Country Central, and many more.
The record's emotional centrepiece 'Father's Søn' was called one of the “Best Country Songs of 2023 So Far” by Rolling Stone, while ‘patches’ led Country Music Pride to laud Wilson as “America's best living songwriter.” Elsewhere album opener 'the devil' was featured in the final scene of season 7, episode 4 of the long-running US SHOWTIME smash Billions, while fan favourite track 'Holler from the Holler' and its impactful official music video continue an impressive run on the international film festival circuit, earning selections and awards across ten independent festivals globally.
2025 UK & European Tour Dates
June 11th – Bergen, NO – Bergenfest
June 12th – Oslo, NO – Parkteatret
June 14th – Egeskov, DK – Heartland Festival
June 15th – Hamburg, DE - Bahnhof Pauli
June 16th – Amsterdam, NL – Paradiso
June 20th – Calahorra, La Rioja, ES – Gran Reserva Festival
June 22nd – Dublin, IE - The Academy
June 23rd – Belfast, UK – Limelight
June 25th – Glasgow, UK – Garage
June 26th – Manchester, UK – Academy 2
June 27th – Bristol, UK – SWX
June 30th – Brighton, UK – Chalk
July 1st – London, UK – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
“…Wilson Jr. offers the kind of nuanced storytelling that has helped make stars of artists like Eric Church and Chris Stapleton, and he has the vocal prowess to back it up. An extremely promising debut.” – Billboard
"Wilson's songs feel like they're being yanked up from the depths of his soul.” – Holler
“A hard-edged hillbilly creative, 22-song experiment with the chemical bonds between gothic country, rock, and grunge.” – Nashville Lifestyles
"The rock energises the music, and the rural details deepen the narratives." – PopMatters
“The Indiana songwriter Stephen Wilson Jr. is a strange beast, able to write and perform a banger like 'Year to Be Young 1994,' the country-grunge of 'Holler from the Holler,' or his duet with Hailey Whitters, 'American Gothic.' It all adds up to make Wilson — named after his father, a boxer — one of the most interesting artists to watch this year, a true original.”– Rolling Stone
“...a masterpiece of an album.” – Whiskey Riff
“The most existential release of the year goes to relative newcomer Stephen Wilson Jr….if you listen closely, you'll hear the work of a master craftsman versed in all manners of pop music.” – Rolling Stone
“...the next iconoclastic leader of country's rock revival.” – The Tennessean
“...the album ultimately feels like a declaration of creative independence — intriguing and insightful at all levels.” – Nashville Scene
Download Hi-Res Portrait / Credit: Acacia Evans
ABOUT STEPHEN WILSON JR.
Stephen Wilson Jr.'s journey from the hollers of southern Indiana to Nashville, Tenn. has been a winding road that's taken many detours: He's been an Indiana State Golden Gloves boxing finalist, a scientist, and a lead guitarist and songwriter in an indie rock band. In 2016, he ditched his laboratory nine-to-five and signed a publishing deal with BMG Nashville where his alchemic song craft immediately made waves, earning cuts from Caitlyn Smith, Old Dominion, Tim McGraw, Sixpence None the Richer, Leigh Nash, and more.
2023 proved to be Wilson Jr.'s breakthrough year, signing with Big Loud Records and releasing his debut double album søn of dad: a triumphant, genre-spanning set of 22 songs dedicated to his late father and given to the world on the five-year anniversary of his death. The album was named the No. 1 album of 2023 by Holler who called it “a record for the ages,” and earned a spot as one of the best albums of the year from Whiskey Riff, Wide Open Country, music critic Grady Smith, and Rolling Stone.
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