(Sacks & Co) "Someone Like You," Adele's hit single co-written and produced by Grammy-winning songwriter Dan Wilson, has reached the no 1 spot on the U.K. Singles Chart aided in large part by Adele's performance of the song on the BRIT Awards. Wilson has three co-writing credits and one production credit on Adele's new album 21, out now in the U.S. on Columbia Records.
In a recent 4-star album review The Guardian notes that "it's former Semisonic man Dan Wilson who is responsible for the album's highlight, the gorgeous 'Someone Like You,' certain to be coming soon to a montage near you."
In addition to his work with Adele, six tracks co-written by Wilson appear on the new Josh Groban album Illuminations including the album's first single, "Hidden Away." Wilson has also contributed the song "Big Promises" to Keith Urban's Get Closer and recent KCRW "Today's Top Tune" "Heavy Boots" to the upcoming record from Nicole Atkins, Mondo Amore.
Wilson is currently writing with artists including country superstar Dierks Bently and Australian singer-songwriter Missy Higgins. He recently released Live at the Pantages, a 27-track document of a live performance at his hometown of Minneapolis' legendary Pantages Theater, available digitally and via www.danwilsonmusic.com. The record spans Wilson's entire career, including his recent collaborations with other musicians and some of the most beloved songs from his recent solo album Free Life. Free Life was produced by Rick Rubin, who says of Wilson, "Dan's music touches my soul. He is/has the perfect combination of inspiration and songcraft. He is a timeless artist whose music will feel as good in 50 years as it does today."
The demand for Wilson's writing spans a broad spectrum of styles and genres. His song "Ours," co-written and co-produced with The Bravery, is featured in the trailer for the new Ivan Reitman film No Strings Attached and appeared in Twilight: Eclipse, the third installment of the wildly successful Twilight series, as well as on the film's soundtrack. Wilson has also written recently with Jason Mraz and contributed the track "Ruling Me" to Weezer's latest record. He has writing and production credits on the newly released Griffin House album, co-wrote and co-produced "BOY" with KT Tunstall for the end title of the upcoming U.K. film release, The Kid, and wrote and produced the track "You Take My Troubles Away," which was performed by Rachael Yamagata and appears on the Dear John soundtrack.
In the mid-nineties, Wilson rose to prominence as a founding member of the Minneapolis-based trio Semisonic. In 2006 Wilson co-wrote a number of songs on the Dixie Chick's album Taking the Long Way, which sold over 2 million copies in the U.S. and won the Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards. Wilson is currently recording a solo studio album set to release in 2011.
