Jesse Welles

When you listen to Jesse Welles, you can practically hear the veil between lie and truth being lifted. The Ozark, AR singer, songwriter, and guitarist addresses life in the 21st century without pandering to one side or the other, sugarcoating an agenda, or forcing beliefs on anyone. He doesn’t mince words; his plainspoken lyrics are straightforward enough to cut right through the bullshit and get to the point. It’s not just about politics. More than anything, he traffics in emotion, appealing to anybody who’s felt the pressure of an unforgiving society, yet holds out hope for the future in spite. Tapping into traditions of folk and Americana spiked with rock ‘n’ roll attitude, his music is the sound of a hammer breaking down the walls between us and letting some light back in. During 2024, he struck a chord by self-filming performances beneath powerlines deep in the Arkansas woods. Beamed out to the world from a standard smartphone camera, the naked intensity of his songwriting brought weight to viral anthems like “War Isn’t Murder,” “The Poor,” “That Can’t Be Right,” “United Health,” and “Ozempic.” He quietly attracted millions of followers and generated nearly one billion total views and streams. Within the span of two years, he shared eight full-length albums and dozens of songs. He delivered a powerhouse set at Farm Aid 40 and has found his place alongside kindred spirits, collaborating with everyone from Joan Baez and Billy Strings to Mt. Joy, Margo Price, and Sierra Ferrell. He performed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and incited the applause of Vulture, Rolling Stone, NPR, Billboard, and CBS News. He garnered 2026 GRAMMY® Award nominations in the categories of “Best Folk Album” for Under The Powerlines (April 24 – September 24), “Best Americana Album” for Middle, “Best American Roots Song” for “Middle,” and “Best Americana Performance” for “Horses.” As always, there’s no filter, but a lot of fire on his 2026 album, Masks Off.