Indiana-born, Nashville-based rising star Stephen Wilson Jr. has announced a new EP ‘Blankets‘ and released his moving interpretation of Nirvana’s ‘Something In The Way’. Arriving on August 29th via Big Loud Records, the four song EP will also feature covers of Temple of the Dog’s ‘Hunger Strike’, The Postal Service’s ‘Clark Gable’ and The Smashing Pumpkins’ ‘Tonight, Tonight’.
Stream / download – here
Pre-save / Pre-add ‘Blankets‘ – here
About ‘Something In The Way’, Wilson Jr. explains, “I used to listen to this song 100 times a day. There was ‘something in the way’ it was recorded. Kurt sang it laying down on his back, not an easy thing to do. It’s magic. There’s also something in the way that he transported this hillbilly kid from southern Indiana to Seattle, Washington.”
This week, Wilson Jr. announced a headline show at Denver’s Mission Ballroom on April 18th, 2026, following his recent Red Rocks debut last month where he supported Eric Church across his three night run. He also made his Newport Folk Festival debut in July where he performed a headline set and was a featured performer in the festival’s finale set. Throughout the rest of the year, Wilson Jr. will support Hardy on his Jim Bob Tour, showcase at AMERICANAFEST for the first time, support Lukas Nelson on October 12th in Wilmington, NC, and continue on his wildly successful sold out ‘søn of dad‘ Tour. On November 23rd and 24th, he will headline Ryman Auditorium for the first time with two sold out shows.
Earlier this year, Rolling Stone featured Wilson Jr. in their Future of Music print issue, including him in their Future 25 list of artists who have them excited for the future. In a wide-ranging profile, Rolling Stone’s Joseph Hudak called him “one of country music’s most electrifying new artists.”
In May, he released the ‘Star Spangled Banner (Live from the 2025 NFL Draft)‘ on streaming platforms following his “understated but hypnotic” (Rolling Stone) performance of the national anthem at this year’s NFL Draft. He also released the gritty music video for ‘Cuckoo‘ starring HARDY + Joey Breaux, as well as a deluxe edition of ‘søn of dad,’, his critically-acclaimed debut double album, featuring two new tracks taken from his viral Live at the Print Shop performance – the moving dedication to his late father ‘I’mA Song‘ and a gripping reinterpretation of Ben E. King’s ‘Stand By Me‘ – and 10 acoustic versions of fan favorites from the LP.
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 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 CountryMusic 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.
Tracklist:
- Something In The Way
- Hunger Strike
- Clark Gable
- Tonight, Tonight
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.
Last year, he toured with Brothers Osborne, The Cadillac Three, Midland, Hailey Whitters, and The Lone Bellow, with debuts at the Grand Ole Opry, Stagecoach, the Ryman Auditorium, CMA Fest, and Red Rocks. This year, he’ll hit the road with HARDY, Brothers Osborne, Charles Wesley Godwin, and The Cadillac Three with festival appearances at C2C, Tortuga, Stagecoach, Country Thunder, and more.
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