Wisconsin Singer/Songwriter Series - David Wilcox

Wilcox’s career began in earnest in the late 1980s, when his self-released debut The Nightshift Watchman caught the attention of A&M Records. His major-label debut, How Did You Find Me Here (1989), became an unexpected hit, selling over 100,000 copies largely by word of mouth and live shows alone—an unheard-of feat for a debut folk record. Critics took note of his deft guitar work and emotional clarity, but it was the unassuming wisdom threaded through his lyrics that truly set him apart. Rolling Stone praised his “soulful insight,” while The New York Times called his music “a kind of open-hearted therapy.”

What followed was a string of acclaimed albums—Big Horizon (1994), Turning Point (1997), What You Whispered (2000)—each one refining his reputation as a songwriter who knows how to say hard things in soft, lasting ways. Over the years, he’s shared stages and collaborations with artists like Shawn Colvin, Patty Larkin, Pierce Pettis, and John Gorka—fellow craftspeople committed to song over spectacle. But Wilcox has never followed the current. He’s followed the work, and in 2018 Wilcox won top honors in the 23rd annual USA Songwriting for his effervescent “We Make the Way by Walking” from his album, The View From the Edge.