“A Fiery Glance at the Ones Who Haven't Given Up”: Stephen Wilson Jr. Teams Up with HARDY and Joey Breaux for New ‘Cuckoo’ Music Video
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Stephen Wilson Jr. has teamed up with HARDY and social influencer Joey Breaux for a brand new music video for his cult hit, ‘Cuckoo’.
The eighth music video from Stephen Wilson Jr. and director Tim Cofield, the newly released video is billed as a ‘gritty midwestern gothic’ take on real people and their stories.
“‘Cuckoo’ is a planet in its own solar system,” says Cofield about the feature, “all these ideas come from Stephen’s brain”.
Formulated around the tenacity of those going against the grain, ‘Cuckoo’ creatively explores life in an Indiana holler. “We're all afraid of something. This video is a fiery glance at the ones who haven’t given up but have given up on the game,” says Wilson Jr. about the characters in his video.
HARDY - whose most recent album, Quit!!, was born out of a note of the same ilk that was given to him at a show - epitomises Wilson Jr.’s vision, and his appearance in the ‘Cuckoo’ music video serves as a nod to their fast-growing friendship.
HARDY features halfway through the video, playing catch with a ball of fire alongside Wilson Jr. – a metaphor for their strong, identifiable modern sounds amidst the classic country genre, perhaps?
Watch the official music video for ‘Cuckoo’, featuring Stephen Wilson Jr., HARDY and Joey Breaux here:
The video comes after HARDY’s announcement of his JIM BOB WORLD TOUR. Wilson Jr. will be supporting on select dates from May through to September, including the final show at the iconic Madison Square Gardens.
Social media influencer and musician, Joey Breaux, known for his signature style and sense of humour – not to mention his skills with nunchucks – appears in the video, too, showcasing a ‘frenetic dive bar performance’. His long blonde hair and handlebar moustache make Breaux instantly recognisable, and a suitable fit for the statement video.
‘Cuckoo’ centres predominantly around the hollers of Indiana – Wilson Jr.’s old stomping ground – featuring a midwestern family, a boxing duo and a man driving his truck backwards. In a way, these characters mirror Wilson Jr.’s life, echoing his two-time Indiana State Golden Glove boxing championship titles, and his friend whose truck will only drive in reverse. “These are not actors,” says Wilson Jr., “a kaleidoscope of humans living and being.”
For the ‘diehard’ fans, Cofield reveals that they’ve added some ‘easter eggs’ – “look for wolf heads and aliens”.
2025 has already proven a successful year for Wilson Jr. with the release of a deluxe edition of søn of dad. This album features two new tracks taken from his viral ‘Live at the Print Shop’ performance: the moving dedication to his late father, ‘I'm A Song’, and a gripping reinterpretation of Ben E. ‘Stand By Me’. The album also includes 10 acoustic versions of fan-favourites, with Hailey Whitters still appearing on ‘American Gothic,’ as well as his 2024 collaboration with HARDY for ‘Father’s Søn’.
Stephen Wilson Jr. is currently on his sold-out søn of dad tour in the US. He's also had a high-profile run of appearances on late night shows including, NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's #LateShowMeMusic series and Later… with Jools Holland, as well as CBS Saturday Morning.
For more on Stephen Wilson Jr., see below:
