He has collaborated extensively with jazz saxophonist Sam Gendel and toured as a member of jazz-funk band Knower.

[2][better source needed] He began playing electric bass as a child and was drawn to the improvisatory music of Phish and The Grateful Dead.

He co-founded the indie rock duo Pratley with James Watson, releasing their debut EP in 2011 and later reuniting for a self-titled full-length album in 2017.

[9] Wilkes's 2023 album Driving marked a departure from his ambient jazz sound, pivoting to indie rock and chamber pop music driven by acoustic guitar and featuring his own vocals.

[11] Wilkes and Gendel joined forces for their third collaborative album The Doober, which was released in 2024 on Leaving Records and features jazz-inflected covers of songs including Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game" and Sheryl Crow's "Tomorrow Never Dies".