When you listen to Jesse Welles, you can practically hear the veil between lie and truth being lifted. The Ozark, Arkansas, singer, songwriter and guitarist has emerged as a singular voice in folk and Americana, pairing plainspoken lyrics with rock ‘n’ roll attitude and an unflinching willingness to address the world around him. In 2024, Welles began self-filming performances beneath power lines in the Arkansas woods, capturing the naked intensity of his songwriting on a standard smartphone camera. The performances sparked a grassroots phenomenon, with viral anthems including “War Isn’t Murder,” “The Poor,” “That Can’t Be Right,” and “United Health” attracting millions of followers and nearly one billion total views and streams. Welles’s breakneck pace has continued: over two years, he released eight full-length albums and dozens of songs, while earning a remarkable four 2026 GRAMMY Award nominations. He ia also nominated for “Artist of the Year” at the 2026 Americana Awards and received the association’s prestigious “Spirit of Americana Award” for Free Speech in 2025. He has collaborated with kindred spirits, including Joan Baez, Billy Strings, Mt. Joy, Margo Price and Sierra Ferrell, while his music has drawn praise from Vulture, Rolling Stone, NPR, Billboard and CBS News, which urged listeners wondering whether folk music is still relevant to “take a listen to Jesse Welles.” His latest album, Masks Off, continues Welles’s tradition of confronting the moment with candor, humor and hope. Produced with Eddie Spear (Zach Bryan, Sam Barber), the album explores themes of collective unrest, abuse of power, I.C.E. raids, and technopagans, while also revealing the introspective and personal side of his songwriting. It pairs these new reflections with studio versions of fan-favorite protest songs that have become staples of his live set. A road-tested performer who logged more than 280 shows in a year, Welles continues to share truths—whether confronting the brazenness of society’s “haves” or offering more intimate reflections on life. “I’m still living where I was living, I’m still doing what I was doing, and I’m still wearing the same jeans that I was two years ago,” he says. “I’m still putting out music as fast as I can write it. I haven’t changed.”
Austin City Limits Announces New Season 52 Tapings
https://acltv.com/2026/08/24/acl-tv-season-52-fall-taping-announcement/
