DEBUT DOUBLE ALBUM søn of dad EARNS WIDESPREAD CRITICAL ACCLAIM
PLAYING SOLD-OUT HOMETOWN HEADLINE SHOW AT NASHVILLE’S EXIT/IN ON JAN. 19
NASHVILLE, TENN. – Following the release of his critically-acclaimed debut double album søn of dad, Indiana-born, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Stephen Wilson Jr. has shared a moving acoustic performance video for “Grief Is Only Love.”
“If you’re lucky enough to have lived, you’re going to grieve something,” Wilson shares. “It is the most human thing we have, and we grieve on a level that is unmatched.”
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. Wilson also just announced a hometown headline show at Nashville’s EXIT/IN on Jan. 19, which has already sold out.
“Writing and making this album has been very therapeutic for me to learn who I am and what my existence looks like after my father. Because life has to go on,” Wilson says. “I’m living my own life, but it’s like his death book ended what life he should have had onto mine and I’m carrying it around like a train car.”
The record’s emotional centerpiece “Father’s Søn” – released in June on Father’s Day – 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 recently featured in the final scene of season 7, episode 4 of the long-running SHOWTIME smash Billions, while fan favorite 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.
CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR søn of dad
“…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 energizes 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
“the gasp of fresh air that you desperately need” – The Amp
“…a masterpiece of an album.” – Whiskey Riff
This year alone, Wilson has made his Grand Ole Opry, Stagecoach, Ryman and CMA Fest debuts and has shared the stage with The Lone Bellow, Drake White, Larry Fleet, Charley Crockett, 49 Winchester, and Joss Stone. Later this month, Wilson will make his Red Rocks debut supporting Midland on Oct. 14, and before the year ends Wilson will join The Lone Bellow for an additional run of shows, including three dates at NYC’s Rockwood Music Hall.
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Media Contacts
Joe Sivick + Bobby Crane | Missing Piece Group
joe@missingpiecegroup.com, bobby@missingpiecegroup.com
Jess Anderson | Big Loud Records
