Five years ago, Sam Wilson, James Wilson, Abe Wilson, Seth Green, and Todd Wellens were in different parts of the country and all a part of different various musical pursuits. Organically, their paths crossed about four years ago and they have been playing together ever since. Their band, Sons of Bill, has become a Charlottesville favorite.

Their fans appreciate their musical depth. Each of the band members come from different musical styles, which makes for entertaining shows with a set list ranging from acoustic ballads to metal covers. According to James Wilson, vocals and guitar...

“If you haven’t had your heart broken or your teeth kicked in by the end of the night, then we probably haven’t done our job.”

A favorite venue of the band is The Jefferson Theater. Wilson believes Charlottesville was in need of a great mid-sized rock club, amazed “that we’ve been able to preserve such a historical place and make it relevant to Downtown today.” In fact, the Wilson brothers’ father played at the Mine-shaft, and the boys have grown up going to rock shows around Charlottesville.

James confesses that he used to try to focus his musical writing according to whatever band he was listening to at the time, whether it be bluegrass, hard-rock, or country.

“I’ve come full circle now back to my childhood instincts that great songs are just great songs no matter what genre it may be,”

believes Wilson. That being said, the musical capacity is unlimited for Sons of Bill. The band is comfortable covering Blind Willie Johnson and the Ramones in the same set.

This depth has caused the band’s name to grow exponentially in recent years, especially around Grounds at U.Va. Sons of Bill is proud to say that they have shared the stage with Robert Earl Keen and the Drive-By Truckers. In fact, the band has toured around the country and the world. But wherever the band heads in their future, Sons of Bill is committed to keeping it grass-roots, and that all begins in their hometown, Charlottesville.

There have been and will continue to be a lot of hours in the van, and “giving it everything night after night.” But for James, it is all worth it. “Hopefully when it all comes together we’ll be here to stay,” he explains. “That’s the sort of music we make, and that’s how we want to grow as a band.”

To check out their music and upcoming shows, visit http://sonsofbill.com.