David Wilcox
More than three decades into his career, singer/songwriter David Wilcox continues to push himself, just as he always has. Wilcox, by so many measures, is a quintessential folk singer, telling stories full of heart, humor, and hope, substance, searching, and style. His innate sense of adventure and authenticity is why critics and colleagues, alike, have always praised not just his artistry, but his humanity, as well.
That's very much by design. It's the result of a man giving himself over in gratitude and service to something bigger than himself. An early '80s move to Warren Wilson College in North Carolina set hiswheels in motion, as he started playing guitar and writing songs, processing his own inner workingsand accessing his own inner wisdom. In 1987, within a couple of years of graduating, Wilcox hadreleased his first independent album, The Nightshift Watchman. A year later, he won the prestigiousKerrville Folk Festival New Folk Award and, in 1989, he signed with A&M Records, selling more than
100,000 copies of his A&M debut, How Did You Find Me Here.
In the 30 years and more than 20 records since — whether with a major label, an indie company, orhis own imprint — Wilcox has continued to hone his craft, pairing thoughtful insights with his warmbaritone, open tunings, and deft technique. He's also kept up a brisk and thorough tour itinerary,performing 80 to 100 shows a year throughout the U.S., and regularly deploying his talents byimprovising a “Musical Medicine” song for an audience member in need. In recent years he’s taken that process a step further, carefully writing and recording dozens of his “Custom Songs” for long-time fans who seek his help in commemorating and explaining the key milestones in their lives.
Lest anyone think that he's lost his touch, Wilcox pulled no punches on his most recent release,2018's The View From the Edge. Not only does the song cycle find him delving into mental health, family legacies, spiritual contemplations, and topical concerns, the song “We Make the Way ByWalking" also won him the Grand Prize in the 2018 USA Songwriting Contest.
Wilcox’s honesty is why Rolling Stone has written that his “ongoing musical journey is compelling andrichly deserving of a listen.” It's also why Blue Ridge Public Radio has noted that, “The connection people feel with David’s music is also the connection they feel with each other.” As Wilcox himself putsit, “I'm grateful to music. I have a life that feels deeply good, but when I started playing music, nothingin my life felt that good. I started to write songs because I wanted to find a way to make my life feel asgood as I felt when I heard a great song. I don't think I'd be alive now if it had not been for music.” And we’re all grateful for the result.
