Stephen Wilson Jr. snuck a brand new song into his shows last month at the Ryman Auditorium.
The “Father’s Son” singer unofficially finished up his tour dates for 2025 back in November. Two of his big, almost finale shows took place at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. It was on November 23 and 24 that Wilson Jr. rattled the pews of the Ryman with his patented, raucous live show, and it acted as yet another step in the complete establishment of Stephen Wilson Jr. in the fabric of modern country music.
Considering who you ask, Stephen Wilson Jr. might be in the midst of his official breakout. I’ve been a big fan of his ever since he dropped his EP Bon Aqua in 2023, so I saw his time in the spotlight at the 2025 CMA Awards (his acoustic performance of “Stand By Me” really turned some heads) as a long-time coming for the talented and unique artist. The 46-year-old is as talented as they come, and he’s got a knack for crafting some of the most emotional country songs you’ll ever hear.
And while he was the Ryman, he debuted a new song called “Dungeons and Dragons” that kind of went under the radar in the past couple of weeks. Thanks to some fan-recorded videos that are now gaining more traction online, we’ve got a great look at a new song from Wilson Jr. that will likely find a home on his next album. When it came time in the set to play the unreleased track, he called upon the help of his wife, Leigh Nash, to help him sing it:
“We’ve got a new fighter entering the ring. She’s the toughest of them all. Please put your hands together for the one and only Leigh Nash. This is a brand new song. We’ve never sang this together.”
If that name sounds familiar, that’s because Nash is a Grammy-nominated singer herself.
Leigh Nash is the lead singer of alternative rock band Sixpence None the Richer. The group was formed in the 1990s when Nash was only 16 years old, and they had their breakout hit with “Kiss Me” in 1998 (I know everyone has heard that one). They followed it up with a cover of “There She Goes” that became their second top 10 hit in 1999.
Her and Stephen Wilson Jr. have been married since 2011, and believe it or not, folks are just beginning to discover that the pair are together in 2025. They come together to make quite the talented couple, and sounded great as they sang the song – that was apparently written at a Waffle House – together at the Ryman:
“This is proof that you don’t need a guitar. You can write a song at Waffle House at 3:00 in the morning with no instruments. This one showed up. I’m grateful it did. It’s called ‘Dungeons and Dragons.’”
That should get the attention of all the D&D players out there.
First off, I’ve got to say that the riff that Wilson Jr. lays down for this one is an absolute ear worm. His distinct sound and style is already infectious enough, and fans of his know good and well that his ability to work a fretboard is what has helped him rocket to stardom (crazy to think he was working as a scientist not too long ago).
Secondly, this one kind of comes off as an ode to Waffle House, in a way. The lyrics explore the happenings of a Waffle House late at night, when the town that it’s located in has gone to bed. Its title, “Dungeons and Dragons,” comes from a portion of the song’s chorus where a group of boys are in the back of the eatery playing the role-playing game. And this line might as well be Waffle House’s new slogan:
“The door’s always open because it never closes.”
So if you like Stephen Wilson Jr., Waffle House, and Dungeons and Dragons… your prayers have been answered. There’s a new song on the way from the artist that describes himself as “Death Cab for Country,” and though it might be unreleased, it already exists in fan-recorded videos like this one:
“Dungeons and Dragons” by Stephen Wilson Jr. & Leigh Nash
