Wil Bakula: The Musician Behind Foamboy

Wil Bakula is a Portland-based musician, keyboardist, and producer. He co-founded Foamboy, an indie pop duo with vocalist Katy Ohsiek, and is the eldest son of actors Scott Bakula (Quantum Leap, Star Trek: Enterprise) and Chelsea Field. Instead of following his parents into Hollywood, Wil studied music at Willamette University and built an independent career in Oregon’s music scene.

Quick Bio

Early Life and Family Background

Wil was born on December 1, 1995, in Los Angeles. His father, Scott Bakula, is known for Quantum Leap (1989–1993), Star Trek: Enterprise (2001–2005), and NCIS: New Orleans. His mother, Chelsea Field, has worked in film and television across multiple decades.

Scott and Chelsea met in 1993 on the set of Passion to Kill and married in 1999. Wil has three siblings: Chelsy Bakula (born 1984), Scott’s daughter from his first marriage to Krista Neumann; Owen Bakula (born 1999); and Cody Bakula (born 1991). The family has Czech-Bohemian, German, Austrian, English, and Scottish roots.

Education

Wil attended Loyola High School in Los Angeles, then enrolled at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, to study music. His senior research project — Musicians of Portland and New Orleans: An Investigation into the Cultural Effects on Creative Processes — examined how a city’s music scene shapes the work its artists produce. It foreshadowed his own decision to build his career in Portland rather than Los Angeles.

At Willamette, he performed in collaborative and improvisational settings. In 2018, he played piano in a collective improvisation at the university’s Student Scholarship Recognition Day alongside Nicholas Burton on bass, Brighton Sier on trombone, and Olivia Fields on alto saxophone.

Music Career

Chromatic Colors

Wil’s first project was Chromatic Colors, a Salem-based collective that blended jazz-fusion, psych-rock, and funk. It was here that he met vocalist Katy Ohsiek. Wil wrote, produced, and played keyboards — he is a classically trained pianist — on the group’s recordings, including the album Nature/Nurture.

The band worked with a rotating cast of instrumentalists, released two full-length albums, and played outdoor festivals, clubs, and basements across the region. They toured behind Nature/Nurture on the Rinse+Repeat Tour, which included a show at The Mint in Los Angeles. Scott Bakula attended the album release and has been publicly supportive of his son’s music career.

Chromatic Colors gave Wil and Katy the foundation to start something new. The project taught them what worked — and what to cut. That editing discipline carried directly into Foamboy.

Foamboy

In 2021, Wil and Katy launched Foamboy. Their debut album, My Sober Daydream, was largely written during the pandemic — Katy was in graduate school in Corvallis while Wil had already moved to Portland. Most of the material was exchanged over email rather than in a room together.

The album addresses mental health, seasonal depression, and the weight of late-stage capitalism. On the single “Better,” Katy described the impulse behind it: “The perfect complement to any existential crisis is a glittery disco beat, so when Wil sent me this idea, I thought — why not? Let’s mix this super upbeat music with my depression.” The track’s music video, directed by Monika Felice Smith, uses modern dance to visualize the experience of breaking out of emotional cycles and negative routines.

Wil’s production centers on layered, synth-heavy textures over which Katy’s vocals move freely. The delivery is conversational — critics have compared it to a phone call with a close friend working through identity, relationships, and exhaustion.

Their second album, Eating Me Alive, followed in 2024. That August, they released the standalone single “Phone” — about tech addiction and disconnection — with a release show at Portland’s Holocene. The single “Song About You” arrived later as a preview of their next record. A third album, Stupid Hot, was announced for spring 2026. No confirmed release date or update has been published as of August 2026.

Foamboy has expanded beyond its original two-piece format for live shows, adding instrumentalists to fill out the sound onstage and in recordings.

Musical Influences and Sound Profile

Foamboy sits at the intersection of jazz harmony, R&B production, and indie pop. Their booking agency classifies them under Alternative, Electronic-Pop, Indie, and Jazz. The most commonly cited comparison points are The Internet, Men I Trust, and Thundercat — but the influence list runs deeper than those three.

Wil has described his approach to editing as ruthless — material that doesn’t work gets cut immediately, no matter how much effort went into it.

Discography

Press, Performances and Industry Standing

Live Shows

Foamboy has built a steady live presence across the Pacific Northwest and beyond:

• Pickathon
• SXSW (Austin)
• Timberfest
• Belltown Bloom
• Holocene (Portland)
• Doug Fir (Portland)
• The Mint (Los Angeles) — with Chromatic Colors

Radio and Press

Foamboy has received airplay on KCRW (Los Angeles) and KEXP (Seattle), two of the most influential independent radio stations in the US for breaking new artists. They’ve been featured in Consequence of Sound, Flood Magazine, and Week in Pop. Willamette Week named them one of Portland’s Best New Bands through a peer-vote process backed by the city’s music community.

Industry Positioning

Foamboy’s booking fee starts in the $15,000–$24,999 range. That places them in the mid-tier independent market — above local acts, below nationally touring headliners. Final pricing depends on event type, location, travel costs, and current demand.

Personal Life

Wil lives in Portland and keeps his personal life almost entirely out of public view. He maintains minimal activity on social media — an unusual choice for a working musician in 2026, and one that appears deliberate. The approach is straightforward: let the music generate the attention, not the personal brand. For someone with a famous last name and access to an easier path, that’s a meaningful choice.

Net Worth

No verified figure for Wil Bakula’s net worth is publicly available. Third-party sites circulate unverified estimates, but none are sourced or confirmed. His income comes from music releases, live performances, streaming, and potential licensing. His father, Scott Bakula, has an estimated net worth of around $16 million from his television and film career.

FAQs

Who is Wil Bakula?

Wil Bakula is a Portland-based musician, keyboardist, and producer. He co-founded the indie pop duo Foamboy with vocalist Katy Ohsiek. He is the eldest son of actors Scott Bakula and Chelsea Field.

What band is Wil Bakula in?

Wil performs and produces with Foamboy. Their discography includes My Sober Daydream (2021) and Eating Me Alive (2024), with a third album, Stupid Hot, announced for spring 2026.

What genre is Foamboy?

Foamboy blends jazz harmony, R&B production, and indie pop. Their booking agency classifies them under Alternative, Electronic-Pop, Indie, and Jazz.

What does Foamboy’s music sound like?

Layered synth textures, jazz-influenced chord structures, and conversational lyrics about mental health, relationships, and daily life. Critics have compared them to The Internet, Men I Trust, and Thundercat.

How much does it cost to book Foamboy?

Their booking fee starts in the $15,000–$24,999 range. Final pricing depends on event type, location, travel, and demand.

Is Wil Bakula on social media?

He maintains a minimal online presence and rarely posts publicly.

Is Wil Bakula related to Scott Bakula?

Yes. Wil is the eldest son of actor Scott Bakula and actress Chelsea Field.

Why did Wil Bakula choose music over acting?

No direct statement from Wil on this is publicly available. What is documented is that he pursued music studies at Willamette University and built his career in Portland’s indie scene — a deliberate path, even if his reasons haven’t been shared publicly.