Jackson Stell grew up in lancaster, massachusetts making hip hop beats under the name j beatz. he started big wild in 2012 after a trip to big sur in california. he moved to portland, oregon, and told riff magazine in 2019 that he picked it because he wanted to stay on the west coast in a city with a solid music scene and plenty of nature around it.

he plays live rather than djing. a big wild show moves between drum pads, synths, keyboards and his own singing, which is why the billing tends to read as a performance rather than a set.

As we get older, I think there's a pressure to almost repress our inner child and our curiosity.

big wild to radio milwaukee, 16 september 2025

the debut album Superdream came out 1 february 2019 on counter records and was the first record where he took the lead on vocals and songwriting himself. The Efferusphere followed on 9 september 2022. Wild Child, thirteen tracks with features from phantogram, twen and ida hawk, arrived 29 august 2025 through giant music.

two of his singles are certified gold by the riaa. 6's to 9's with rationale, off superdream, was certified on 10 december 2024, and When I Get There was certified on 30 june 2025. that one sits with foreign family collective, odesza's imprint, which is also where the Invincible ep landed in february 2017.

on 25 september 2026 he headlines dillon amphitheater in dillon, colorado, on a bill the venue lists as wild on the water, with Mindchatter supporting. he is also on the ocean view stage at crssd fest, held at waterfront park in san diego on 26 and 27 september 2026, though the festival has not published which of the two days he plays.