Behind the Band Name: Wilco

Indie rock favorite Wilco has gifted listeners with an unmatched musical experience for almost 30 years. Since their inception in the mid-1990s, they’ve blossomed from a rough-around-the-edges ensemble to the polished mainstays of alt-county-rock they are today. There is no doubt Wilco has become a household name in that time, and what a name it is.

Behind the Name

Wilco was formed from the breakup of the alt-country outfit Uncle Tupelo. Following the frontman’s departure, the group’s remaining members teamed up to continue making music. They ditched the Uncle Tupelo moniker for “Wilco.”

The name is derived from radio lingo, an abbreviation for “will comply” used in radio communication across military and commercial correspondence. While longtime bandleader Jeff Tweedy has admitted the name doesn’t necessarily align with rock stardom – rock and roll is in many ways the antithesis of compliance – the name stuck.

The radio theme has followed Wilco throughout their lifetime as a band. Their 1995 debut album was titled A.M., and their fourth release, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, was named per the NATO phonetic alphabet, a code widely used in radio communication.

Wilco Today

Today, Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt are the only original Wilco members. After nearly three decades as an outfit, the band is fresh off the release of their 12th studio album, Cruel Country. The record doesn’t shy away from their alt-country tendencies; in fact, it leans into them.

“‘Cruel Country’ is an American music album about America,” Tweedy shared of the album in a statement. “Country music is simply designed to aim squarely at the low-hanging fruit of the truth. If someone can sing it, and it’s given a voice, well, then it becomes very hard not to see. We’re looking at it. It’s a cruel country, and it’s also beautiful. Love it or leave it. Or if you can’t love it, maybe you’ve already left.”

Wilco has already hit the road in support of Cruel Country. What launch in mid-March, their spring tour will see the band crisscross the country, performing in cities they missed during the initial U.S. leg last year, before coming to a close in late April.

Photo by Peter Crosby / Pitch Perfect PR