Do you know the artist, JBeatz? Probably not, right? At least, not by that name. That was the first stage name of songwriter and artist Jackson Stell, who now goes by Big Wild.

And while it took him a while to decide on a stage name that stuck, it didn’t take a while for his career to take off, at least, not after he moved to California. The golden state played a significant role in his career, actually, from inspiring his change of stage name to getting him noticed in the electronic music scene.

Cali on His Mind

Jackson was at the Northeastern University of Boston when he was making music as JBeatz, which he did in his free time between classes.

Then he moved to California, to the Bay Area, and found himself so inspired by Big Sur, that he came up with the name Big Wild. It was in the Bay Area that Jackson started making the beats we know him for today, which were more chill and atmospheric than the big electronic names in the scene.

Unlike most electronic artists, though, Stell played the instruments and melodies himself, before mixing them into his songs.

Odesza and “Say My Name”

In 2015, Jackson’s hard work and unique style started paying off. The Seattle-based duo Odesza liked his music so much that they invited him on tour with them.

Between that and his remix of their song “Say My Name,” Big Wild had officially come onto the scene. After working with Odesza, he toured with artists like GRiZ, Pretty Lights, and even Bassnectar.

With all that under his belt, he put out his first EP in 2017, which he followed up with a 27-stop tour. He then signed with “Counter Records” in 2018 and put out his first studio album “Superdream” a year later.

It’s been a wild ride for the kid from Lanchester, Massachusetts, but he wouldn’t change a thing.