Jesse Welles

Jesse Allen Breckenridge Wells (born November 22, 1992), known professionally as Jesse Welles, is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He released his debut studio album, Red Trees and White Trashes, in 2018. Welles previously performed under the name Jeh Sea Wells and was also the frontman of the bands Dead Indian, formed in 2012, and Cosmic-American, formed in 2015. He was also the frontman for the band Welles.

In 2024, Welles garnered attention on social media for writing and performing folk protest songs, including "The Poor", "Cancer", "The Olympics", "United Health", "Join ICE", and "War Isn't Murder", a track about the Gaza war. Vulture has described his music as "A mix of old-fashioned folkie signifiers and trending-topic populism, delivered in hooky snippets on social media several times weekly". He has been described as a modern Woody Guthrie. In 2026, Welles received four nominations at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards.

Early life and influences Welles was born in Ozark, Arkansas, and grew up there in Northwest Arkansas. In 2016, Welles lived for a while in an abandoned building turned art commune in the mountains around Fayetteville.

Career Under the name Jesse Wells, Welles began his career around 2012, releasing home-made recordings of his music, posting them on sites including SoundCloud and Bandcamp. He formed the band Dead Indian in 2012, along with Dirk Porter and Simon Martin. In 2014, Welles released a song titled "Summer" In 2015, he moved to Nashville to record songs with producer Dave Cobb. Also in 2015, Welles released a cover of the Nirvana song "Heart-Shaped Box".

In March 2017, Welles released a song titled "Life Like Mine" from his then-upcoming EP titled Codeine on C3 Records. In May 2017, Welles released a music video for the song "Life Like Mine", from the EP. Under the mononym Welles, he released the single "Rock N Roll" in April 2018, in promotion of his then-upcoming debut studio album Red Trees and White Trashes. Greta Van Fleet, Rival Sons, and Royal Blood. In February 2019, Welles performed as a headliner at Schubas in Chicago. In 2023, under the name Jesse Welles, he began playing cover songs on TikTok. After his father lived through a heart attack the following year, he began to write folk protest songs focused on current events. The songs, addressing topics including capitalism, microplastics and the fentanyl crisis in the United States, garnered attention on social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. In September 2024, Welles played Farm Aid; he was introduced by Dave Matthews as "one of the best songwriters I've ever heard in my life." He also performed two songs on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in November 2025: "Join ICE" and "Red". Welles's "Join ICE" has been described as "another step in the comeback of the protest song".

Welles was honored with the Spirit of Americana/Free Speech Award at the 2025 Americana Music Honors & Awards on September 10, 2025, presented in association with the First Amendment Center. He was also nominated for the Emerging Act of the Year award at the ceremony.

Welles was nominated for four categories at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, which occurred in 2026: 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".

Discography As Jeh Sea Wells Albums Indian Summer (2012) When We Die (2013) Demonstrations (2015) Chaff (2016) Gemini Sweethearts and Daisy Chains (2016) Pall Mall Church (2016) All of Life Is Piss (2017) Space Camp Summer 18 (2018)

EPs So We Kept Looking (2013) Non-Essential Business (2020) Q2 (2020) Joe Dirt Cobain (2020)

Singles "1 a.m." (2012) "Big Grey Sky" (2013) Summer (2014) "Xmas 97" (2014) "Don't Let Me Down" (2020)

As Welles Albums Red Trees and White Trashes (2018) Alien Secrets (2023) Arkancide (2023) Arkancide 2 (2023) Arkancide 3 (2023)

EPs Codeine (2017, C3 Records)

Singles "Are You Feeling Like Me" (2017) "Seventeen" (2018)

As Jesse Welles Albums Hells Welles (2024) Patchwork (2024) Middle (2025) Under the Powerlines (April 24 – September 24) (2025) Pilgrim (2025) Devil's Den (2025) With the Devil (2025) Under the Powerlines II (October 24 – December 24) (2025) Masks Off (2026) Under the Powerlines III (January 25 - June 25) (2026) Source:

EPs All Creatures Great and Small (2024) No Kings (2025)

Singles + List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name Title Year Peak positions Album USAAAUSRock/Alt. Airplay "The Olympics" 2024 — — Hells Wells "Cancer" — — "War Isn't Murder" — — "Payola" — — "The Poor" — — "Walmart" — — Patchwork "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" — — "Bugs" — — All Creatures Great and Small "United Health" — — "Amazon Santa Claus" — — "Horses" 2025 2 29 Middle "Domestic Error" — — "Friends" — — "Pilgrim" — — Pilgrim"No Kings" — — "Won't You Come Out Tonight" 2026 4 31 Masks Off Welles is featured on Margo Price's single "Don't Wake Me Up".

Other Charted Songs Title Year Peak positions Album USAAAUSRock/Alt. Airplay "Wheel" 2025 7 38 Middle

With Dead Indian Albums Lead Me to the Sky (2013) When We Live (2014)

EPs Grey (2013) Far Out – The Covers (2015)

With Cosmic-American EPs Out Far (2015)