Stephen Wilson Jr.

Born on July 11, 1979, Wilson was raised in Seymour, Indiana. Introverted as a youth, Wilson and his brother were guided by their father into competitive boxing. This experience, culminating in Golden Gloves amateur boxing competitions, helped him conquer stage fright. Wilson recalls how country singer Tim McGraw's song "Don't Take the Girl" profoundly impacted him as a teenager. Raised poor by a single dad, and with an absent mother who suffered through abusive relationships, the song's storytelling sparked in him a passion for lyrics and poetry, leading him to begin writing his own songs. Wilson's father died in September 2018. ==Career==

After leaving his first band, AutoVaughn, Wilson settled into a stable job in the research and development department of Mars' food-science lab. In 2023, he published his debut album, the EP bon aqua. He followed it in 2023 with the album søn of dad, which was inspired by the death of his father. In 2025, this was re-issued as a deluxe version that included additional acoustic and live tracks. Later in 2025, Wilson released the covers EP Blankets, which includes songs by Nirvana, Temple of the Dog, the Postal Service, and the Smashing Pumpkins. ==Musical style and influences==

Wilson's music is a blend of country and rock, and he has described it as "Death Cab for Country", a reference to the indie rock band Death Cab for Cutie. As a child, he had a passion for country musician Willie Nelson, and he considers the grunge band Nirvana to be among his chief musical influences. In 2025, he covered their song "Something in the Way" on his EP Blankets. Wilson credits Soundgarden's Kim Thayil and Chris Cornell for helping him learn the guitar, particularly through their tunings. ==Discography==

Studio albums • Søn of Dad (2023) EPs • Bon Aqua (2023) • Blankets (2025) Singles • "Made for This", with Leigh Nash (2021) • "Year to Be Young 1994 (Unplugged)" (2022) • "Father's Søn" (2023) • "Mighty Beast" (2023) • "All the Wars from Now On" (2023) • "Patches" (2023) • "Father's Søn (Acoustic)" (2024) • "The Tunnel" with Lori McKenna (2024) • "Stand by Me (Live at the Print Shop)" (2024) • "The Star-Spangled Banner (Live from the 2025 NFL Draft)" (2025) • "Dig a Hole" (2025) • "Took a Walk (from The Long Walk)" with Shaboozey (2025) • "If There's a Heaven" (with Noah Cyrus) (2025) • "Gary" (2025) ==References==