UP AND COMING: JESSE WELLES

Some call him our generation’s Bob Dylan, others say Woody Guthrie. Jesse Welles, a folk singer with a gritty voice and a background in making rock ‘n’ roll, gained his popularity from posting videos of himself performing songs with just a guitar, his voice, and an open field. Jesse really started making music after his father had a heart attack in 2024. Nobody knew if he would survive. In the hospital room, Jesse realised that we don’t have as much time as we think. After his realization, Jesse started opening up and writing songs at a rapid pace. His music is a perfect blend of other well known artists’ sounds, like Woody Guthrie’s, and his own sound. Jesse’s new album showcases this as well as other elements.

JESSE WELLES WITH HIS NEW ALBUM COVER, DEVIL'S DEN; GRAPHIC BY CALLISTA WEST

Jesse’s most recent album, Devil’s Den, was released on August 22. The album contains both political protest songs like “The Great Caucasian God”, a song with lyrics opposing war and oppression, and more personal songs like “Hold On”. “The Great caucasian God” addresses war with lyrics like “Don’t you know atomic power is just god’s celestial shower?” and “There are many who will die in the lord’s plan by and by but it won’t be you or me thanks to the great caucasian god.” These lyrics use sarcasm to protest the hypocrisy of people who use their religion to justify or dismiss their actions. “Hold On”, one of the album’s more personal songs, is about how life always has some kind of challenge for you, but you need to hold on and make it past the challenges. This message is conveyed through lyrics like “And the signs aren’t clear as you try to steer through the terror and the hate and crime but never once should you ever want to die.” All of the other 9 songs on the album are worth listening to, with equally deep lyrics and messages.