Wilson Releases ‘Gary’ Ahead of Upcoming Tour and CMA Awards

Nashville, Tennessee – Wilson, known for blending grunge sounds with heartland rock, dropped his new song “Gary” early Wednesday morning. The track follows a live debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday night and is the first single from his forthcoming album.

Earlier this year, Wilson previewed “Gary” during a sold-out concert at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he explained the inspiration behind the song, which reflects on the value of trades and the people who embody them.

“I grew up in a body shop. My family, every one of them can fix anything, not because they’re just mechanical geniuses, but because they had to fix everything,” Wilson told Rolling Stone. “There’s no money to hire somebody to fix something, so you just got to learn how to fix it. And where I come from, the Garys, they get it done.”

The lyrics express a longing for the appreciation of skilled tradespeople. “Time leaves town but the minute hand stays/Ain’t a lot of boys named Gary these days,” Wilson sings, lamenting society’s changing values regarding manual labor.

<p“I grew up in a generation where it’s like you go to college and to hell with trades,” he said. “But here we are in a society that’s running out of Garys. And it’s going to be scary if we ain’t got our Garys. I hope we recognize and start celebrating them instead of forgetting about them.”

Wilson recently announced his Gary the Torch tour, set to launch March 6 in Columbus, Ohio. The tour will visit major cities including Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York. Before hitting the road, he will wrap up 2025 with concerts in Las Vegas and two shows at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville next week.

Additionally, Wilson is set to perform at the 2025 CMA Awards on Wednesday night. He will sing a reimagined version of Ben E. King’s classic and collaborate with Shaboozey on their song “Took a Walk.” He is also nominated for New Artist of the Year.