Stephen Henderson was born and brought up in Ayrshire. Growing up in a musical household meant that Stephen was immersed in music from an early age.

 Since graduating with first-class honours in Jazz from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2015, Stephen has been the drummer/percussionist for Mercury Prize-nominated artist Fergus McCreadie. The trio, also featuring David Bowden on bass, has released four acclaimed albums, with Forest Floor earning a Mercury Prize nomination and winning Scottish Album of the Year in 2022—the first instrumental album to do so.

Stephen recorded in New York for the soundtrack of Spike Lee’s film Highest 2 Lowest, starring Denzel Washington and A$AP Rocky—performing drums across the entire soundtrack, including several tracks with the Fergus McCreadie Trio.

A sought-after performer and session musician across the UK, Stephen has worked with artists including Laura Jurd, Tim Garland, Rob Luft, Andy Middleton (US), James Tormé (LA), Aidan O’Rourke, Leroy Brown (New Orleans), and Elchin Shirinov (Azerbaijan).

In 2018, he launched his solo project Modern Vikings, featuring Fergus McCreadie, David Bowden, Graeme Stephen, and Konrad Wiszniewski. The group blends Scandinavian melodic sensibilities with the energy and colour of American jazz. That same year, Jazzwise named Stephen “One to Watch,” and in 2024 the band won the Critic’s Choice Award at the Scottish Jazz Awards.