Stephen Wilson Jr.: bon aqua
It’s the tangled, beautiful collision of sound and word that makes Stephen Wilson Jr’s debut EP, bon aqua, a defining collection of Midwest music folklore. Born in the sweeping corn rows of southern Indiana, Wilson - fresh off of inking his signature with Big Loud Records - plows onto the scene in a creative cloud of mud and dirt, tip-toeing about the fine lines of Americana, Grunge and Rock without remorse. It is unapologetic Folk thundering from a dirty diesel stack on a two-lane road.
Photo by Acacia Evans
Drawing from established pieces rendered by Wilson over his years of blue-jean songsmithing, bon aqua offers seven tracks, including “American Gothic,” Wilson’s latest single, featuring the pristine vocals of Hailey Whitters, adding to the splendor. From its very opening with “The Devil,” it becomes quite evident that Wilson shines when steeped in the gravel-road realm of USA living - simple & free. “Year To Be Young 1994” sees nostalgia from those glory days and the moments that are lovingly locked within our memories to cherish for all days to come, big and small.
“Holler From The Holler” allows Wilson to lay down an anthem for the backwoods’ class, giving an emphatic nod to his roots and the grime that fills his nails - it’s a symphony in the halls of badassery.
“Taking all the shit
that the poor folks are given,
Dodging daddy’s fist
and the Jackson County prison”
In a world of mundane melody and bubble-gum tall-tales, Stephen Wilson Jr. is the gasp of fresh air that you desperately need, along with the swift-kick to your ear balls. Wilson demonstrates the creative edge blossoming from our fly-over states - look no further than bon aqua for that truth.
Find out more about Stephen Wilson Jr. at the links below:
