In 2019 at The Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac Michigan, Detroit, local band Wilson had their last show honoring the ‘fuckery’ sound that they were known for. Jumpstarting the beginning of the end that night, was a silent auction backstage that included a piece of vocalist Chad’s Nicefield’s beard. It might seem ridiculous, but that was the point. That was Wilson.
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Wilson spent the last ten years building a brand with their first self-released record, Full Blast Fuckery in 2013, all the way to their third studio release, Tasty Nasty in 2018. Each album included an increasing amount of their ‘fuckery’ sound, tethered by brash lyrics, anthemic songs, high energy choruses, and guitar riffs perfect for debauchery. With much lived chaos, marked by the band’s three records, the Detroit staple is pumping the brakes, for now at least. But they couldn’t say goodbye without having one last night of ‘fuckery’, which they recorded and are releasing today as Thank You, Good Night. Live!
“It’s really hard for me to even probably describe the amount of different feelings I had,” frontman Chad Nicefield told American Songwriter about Wilson’s last show. “They range from sadness to anxiety, to absolutely overwhelmed with happiness based on how many people showed up to celebrate our existence that night. I don’t think any of the sadness that I felt could ever be absorbed but it could never take away from the happiness in that moment either.”
With the mix of emotions in the room that night, one thing that Wilson was positively delighted about doing was giving back to their fans and their fellow music industry folks. A silent auction kicked off the show that night backstage and included a long inventory of Wilson stage props, artwork and Nicefield’s beard that he cut off and saved for years in a to-go container. All of the proceeds went to MusiCares, a nonprofit supporting music workers who have been displaced by the pandemic and Lighthouse of Oakland County, a social services organization in Pontiac.
Another highlight from the night, one that also sparked the idea for the live release was “Dumptruck.” Wilson’s sound engineers Josh Sobeck and Ryan Thomas captured the show that night simply for the band to revisit as a memory, but when Nicefield heard “Dumptruck,” after Sobeck mixed it, he knew he had to share it with fans.
“It became overwhelming apparently that this isn’t just for us,” Nicefield said. “This is for the quote unquote ‘House of Fuckery’. And it was one of those things where it just wasn’t right to not share with the people who probably wish that they could have been there.”
The song from the group’s last record Tasty Nasty also brought back lots of memories from the band’s earlier days before their tremendous growth and evolution. The band’s first couple records tied into some really tough times for them as they were learning about the music busines back then.
“You know at the end of that cycle we had realized a lot of things about the music industry and a lot of things about ourselves,” Nicefield said about the band’s beginnings. “We were in a dark place. Our guitar player briefly quit the band, but he finished writing the next record with me. And one of those tracks was ‘Dumptruck.” It used to be called ‘Blood’s All Gone’ and it was about that darkness. And it was heavier but sonically musically speaking, it wasn’t too far off than what you’re hearing now but vocally- it was way different way, and the lyrical content was basically, ‘I’m going to I’m going to make you pay for all these terrible things.’
“We went through a transformation as humans, from that dark space to a lighter space. We found a new management team and a producer- Scott Stevens, to work with us. Scott brought out all of the better parts of us at that time which was a funny, fuckery, no frills or attitudes. We had a certain vision that went back to our first record.”
Still even with a renewed vision and energy, Wilson were fractured and going in different directions. After a decade of the road, endless gigs and time away form family, the lifestyle became hard to swallow for some of the band. And it was understood and sympathized even among members who wanted to continue with the lifestyle.
“There’s no animosity,” Nicefield said about Wilson’s decision to pause. “It was a moment that we decided to agree to look in other directions for a little bit. The decision was made based upon the life that we all wanted to live. And being in a touring band didn’t really afford that, especially for some of us who are getting married and having kids.”
Even with the comparatively short existence over ten years, Wilson has accomplished leaps and bounds more than they had ever hoped to starting out. The most important thing they have taken away from the decade together making music is the notion that music transforms after you release it to the world. At that point it becomes about the fans more than any kind of selfish gift they could ever receive from it.
“It’s kind of a self-serving gift,” Nicefield said. “The idea is kind of wanting to do all this stuff for ourselves, but you forget that the idea here has actually has nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with other people and taking that moment to realize what we did for others and subsequently for ourselves. That’s probably the most authentic thing for me over the 10 years of our band and especially in 2020.”
With the bigger gifts come little triumphs too. Thank You, Good Night. Live! was the last record Nicefield had a hand in producing and editing for Wilson. Nicefield listened to each stem from the 19 tracks spanning Tasty Nasty and Right to Rise recorded from the show, allowing him a final listen into their sound at the most naked of levels.
“I edited the entire record, so it was mixed by Josh, edited by me,” Nicefield said. “But what I really got to do is pay attention and listen to each one of us in our life, in a soloed-out environment, hearing the energy, feeling the energy, feeling the skill set that we had. Hearing those guys play so perfectly with just a type of tightness to it, I got to remember what we had found.”
Over the ten years together Wilson found more than just a sound, but they branded a legacy. One that Nicefield remembered started off with a mere dream and five guys from Detroit who had nothing to lose.
“I think that if I could so boldly speak for everybody in the band- It was very calculated chaos, and we dreamed big. We literally had no plans. And as cheesy as it may sound all it takes is a dream and wanting to be the best for other people.”
“This isn’t about you getting your rocks off. The idea of listening to us, is that it makes you feel better or maybe helps you through terrible times or provides the soundtrack to a great party. Those are the things that I really hope people think of five to ten years from now or even 20 when listening to Wilson. We were a fun band at a fun time in life.”
Nicefield is not leaving music entirely and continues to write, so don’t give up hope for more music from the Wilson frontman. And if you find yourself needing some ‘fuckery’ in these crazy times until then, check out Thank You, Good Night. Live here. Wilson will also be hosting two listening parties with Q&A sessions today via Instagram Live, @wilsonparties. Join singer Chad Nicefield at 3:00 PM ET and guitarist Jason Spencer at 8:00 PM ET today.
