Exclusive: Stephen Wilson Jr. Breaks Down the Title of His Debut Album, His Songwriting Process, and More

Singer/songwriter and former microbiologist Stephen Wilson Jr. made waves when he released his debut album Søn of Dad last year. The release garnered acclaim from critics, fans, and other artists alike. Last month, Wilson made his debut appearance at the Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival as part of his current headlining tour.

While on the festival grounds, Wilson took a moment to talk to Chris Killian as part of the American Songwriter Interview Sessions presented by George Dickel Tennesse Whiskey. During their conversation, he discussed his songwriting process, the title of his debut album, his rise to acclaim, and more.

Stephen Wilson Jr. Breaks Down the Spelling of Søn of Dad

Chris Killian, like many listeners wanted to know the significance of the spelling of “son” in the title of Stephen Wilson Jr.’s debut album.

[RELATED: The Colorful Life and Career of Nashville’s Poet: Stephen Wilson Jr.]

“The Norwegian spelling is really cool. There’s a little more emphasis on the son-father relationship that’s built into the name, their naming system which we kind of inherited,” he explained. The spelling also has a connection to his past as a scientist. “An o with a line through it means ‘no solution.’ I’ve always just loved that,” he said. “My whole career as a scientist, I loved kind of breaking everything down. There seemed to be math for everything. With music, there’s no math,” he added. “There’s no solution for it and I’ve conceded to that.”

Wilson on Songwriting

Killian wanted to know how Stephen Wilson Jr. decides which part of his story or how much of his own emotions he shares in his music. “I just share as much as I want to. I’m not really here to pull punches or referee people’s emotions,” he explained. “I think the song is just free to do what it’s supposed to do and be what it’s supposed to be. If it’s very personal, that’s just the nature of it,” he added.

“I try to subtract myself from it. In science, we have user bias. The closer you are to your research, usually, the more biased and corrupted it can be,” Wilson explained. “As much as I try to insert my own emotions and my own experience to kind of authenticate an idea, I try to separate myself from it because then it becomes more about me and less about the idea,” he added.

“Massively,” Wilson said when asked if his approach to science influenced his process as a songwriter.

Stephen Wilson Jr. Never Thought He Would Be a Headliner

Stephen Wilson Jr. went from being a largely unknown scientist to one of the buzziest new artists in the independent country scene. Now, he’s playing festivals and headlining a tour. “My whole life has changed in the past year. Ten years ago, I was a scientist with a lab coat on that never sang a song for anybody ever. Really, the thought of it would have given me a panic attack, even singing for three people in a backyard,” Wilson said.

“When I’m up there headlining, it’s really mind-blowing. That’s really not something I really imagined myself doing. I would be lying if I said ‘I’ve been dreaming of this moment my whole life.’ I didn’t even have the capacity to dream of this. My dreams out-dreamt me.

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