Matt LuceyIntro to Jesse Welles
Jesse Welles, an American guitarist and songwriter, has been steadily gaining more and more attention on his social media platforms. A long time musician, Welles has been involved in a number of bands since his first stint in 2012. Since then, Welles has been a member of several groups but his career never entirely took off. This is, of course, until his social media presence rocketed him to international recognition.
Rise to Fame
In recent years, Welles began posting short, catchy songs to his Instagram account. With all the turmoil in the world, Welles found his niche in Dylan-esque social commentary. I first found Welles through a song he had released about Wistle-blowers and I’ve been following him ever since. With competent guitar playing and a voice that matches his particular songs, Welles’ wit is razor sharp. His political views shine through in his music but, beyond that, you see his thoughtful approach to societal issues in general through his songs.
Welles films these songs in nature, often in the same patch of grass. With each topic that he chooses to write on, he blends musical creativity with his signature storytelling ability. From commenting on obesity, drug use, wealth inequality and microplastics, to his songs on bugs and nature, each song is well crafted and makes you want more. I, along with many others, rush to his channel after major events, just to watch his articulately sum up the thoughts we all have.
No Kings
Recently, Welles has had a wealth of material from which he can draw. With all of the major events in US politics, Welles has been consistently releasing music on the various events. This song, No Kings, came after comments on the now president, Trump, being likened to a king in his actions. Its message has recently found resonance during the “No Kings Day” protests across several US cities, where demonstrators rallied against authoritarianism and political overreach.
The song itself sits at 2 minutes and 47 seconds, short by normal standards but on the longer side of Welles works. Coming in with minimalism, only guitar and vocals feature on this track. While Welles is capable of more advanced playing, simple strumming accompanies his voice here. The song opens with a mission statement, promises repeated en masse by politicians through time. “No hatred, no violence, no starvation and no greed, no Kings, no Kings no Kings”. The rest of the song follows in this trend, heavy repetition of the need for no Kings in the US. He likens the US now to old power structures, how the wealthy and powerful mirror the positions of kings and lords.
A nice Harmonica solo punctuates the song, breaking up the lyric heavy piece. A recurring theme in this song is also the Declaration of Independence. The most important document in US history, detailing their vision for the country. The idea of America being an escape from the unjust rule of Britain was a selling point. The fact that the current regime seeks a monarch-esque control is flying in the face of the country’s mission statement. As usual, this song is insightful, poetic and musically pleasing. Welles knows how to write, sing and make a point.
Conclusion
I think that this sort of political commentary though music is a proud tradition in the musical community. From Dylan Bowie to Creedence to Sabbath, we’ve always had someone using their voice to draw attention to important events. Welles has carried the torch recently and I look forward to hearing his future work.
