Ric Wilson shares disco love with new single and New Year’s Eve party

Looking ahead to his New Year’s Eve dance party, Chicago musician and activist Ric Wilson hopes that disco ideals will reign supreme. Wilson is wrapping a busy 2024 that brought domestic and international tours with DRAMA, Black Pumas, Yellow Days and Chromeo. But Chicago’s “Disco Ric” will have one grand finale: “America Runs On Disco,” a year-end celebration, at Lincoln Hall. Wilson’s new single also is called “America Runs on Disco,” and it’s out Dec. 17 (an EP of the same name is due out in 2025). The song reflects Wilson’s thoughts over the past two years on escapism and paying homage to disco’s inclusive ethos.

Stopping by the Vocalo studio last week, Wilson spoke with host Nudia Hernandez about his love of Chicago house music, his secret for thriving on 7-hour flights to London and his penchant for civic engagement.

This segment was hosted and produced by Nudia Hernandez. It was edited by Morgan Ciocca. Dig deeper into the story at Vocalo.org, and follow us @Vocalo on Instagram, X and Facebook, or @Vocalo.radio on TikTok.