Stephen Wilson Jr. releases gritty midwestern gothic 'Cuckoo'
- Gardenia Publicity
- Mar 24
- 5 min read
2025 UK & EUROPE TOUR
Including O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Debut album søn of dad (deluxe) out now
Today, the Indiana-born, Nashville-based rising star Stephen Wilson Jr. releases the official music video for 'Cuckoo' from his critically-acclaimed debut double album søn of dad (Big Loud Records). Directed by Tim Cofield, the clip paints a psychedelic picture of life in an Indiana holler featuring a frenetic dive bar performance from Joey Breaux, a Midwestern Gothic family scene and HARDY + Wilson Jr. playing catch with a ball of fire.
Wilson Jr. is currently in the midst of the entirely sold-out 2025 U.S. run of his søn of dad tour, which will return to the UK this summer after his triumphant sold-out debut headline tour last year. Earlier this month, it was also announced that he will join HARDY on his JIM BOB WORLD TOUR on select dates from May through September, including the final show at Madison Square Garden. Find a full list of tour dates at stephenwilsonjr.com.
“'If one don't drive ya then the other one will…' running on cognitive American fumes at times,” shares Wilson Jr. "We're all afraid of something. This video is a fiery glance at the ones whom haven't given up but have given up on the game. These are not actors. A kaleidoscope of humans living and being. Unashamed of their shame. 'Cuckoo…'”
“'Cuckoo' is the eighth video Stephen and I have made together,” shares director Tim Cofield. “While 'Holler from the Holler' was the most ambitious concept we've co-directed, 'Cuckoo' is a planet in its own solar system. All these ideas come from Stephen's brain. For example, the character driving backwards in the truck. Stephen actually knows a guy who has to drive to work backwards 'cause his truck only drives in reverse. My favorite thing about the 'Cuckoo' video is that all these characters you see are real people, not actors. There's also some easter eggs hidden in there for diehard fans (look for wolf heads and aliens).”
Already this year, Wilson Jr. has released a deluxe edition of søn of dad featuring two new tracks taken from his viral Live at the Print Shop performance: the moving dedication to his late father 'I'm A Song' and a gripping reinterpretation of Ben E. King's 'Stand By Me', as well as 10 acoustic versions of fan favourites from the LP. The Tennessean also named Wilson Jr. as one of the Top Nashville artists to watch in 2025, following his late year appearances on Bert Kreischer's Bertcast and The Dan Patrick Show. His previously released interpretation of 'Stand By Me', which was called “the cover you need to hear”by Rolling Stone, has garnered over 20 million views across social media.
In 2024, 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. Last fall, CBS News' Jeff Glor traveled to Nashville for Wilson Jr.'s first major television interview, which was followed by a performance of three songs on CBS Saturday Morning. Last year, Wilson Jr. also shared the stage with Brothers Osborne, The Cadillac Three, Midland and HARDY, the latter of which appeared on the duet version of 'Father's Søn' released last year.
2025 UK & European Tour Dates
June 12th – Oslo, NO – Parkteatret
June 14th – Egeskov, DK – Heartland Festival
June 15th – Hamburg, DE - Bahnhof Paul
June 16th – Amsterdam, NL – Paradis
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
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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