Welles arrives today with his melodic and psychedelic debut LP, "Red Trees and White Trashes," available via 300 Entertainment.
Following the critically acclaimed debut 'Codeine EP', which received support from Nylon, Consequence of Sound and Paste in the US, to name a few, the album premiered as an NPR First Listen, who - aside from eluding to the album as worthy of Grammy nominations, noted that "the sound on the album is huge," and that, "at only 23, Wells is already writing hooks that any of his heroes would envy."
From the opening moments of the record, the first thing you notice as a listener is Jesse's voice. At once totally unique and jarringly emotive, it demonstrates that Jesse understands that the best singers wield their instrument with stealth. Being able to unleash as much emotion from a quiet murmur as a wild howl is intrinsic to Welles' output. He'll tell you that he responds most profoundly to "road-weary" singers like David Bowie, John Lennon, and early Bob Dylan. He recalls drawing instant inspiration from Kurt Cobain when first hearing Nirvana's "Lithium" in middle school "I heard this American just barely getting through the lyrics and I was like 'OK. This is cool. I can do this.'
With his new album, "White and Red Trashes", Welles is continuing where the rock greats before him left off. From the slow-burning lead single, "Seventeen", to the energetic "Rock n Roll", his debut LP is a collection of psychedelic tracks brimming with an emotive, small town restlessness.
The bulk of "Red Trees and White Trashes", was written whilst Jesse was living in a communal art compound in the college town of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Friends of varying artistic disciplines all shared an apartment building they dubbed "Space Mountain." "Some of us worked on bicycles, some of us were doing painting and art," he explains. "It was our own little Andy Warhol experiment. It was crazy."
With the album complete, Welles now wants to play as many shows as possible. Having already supported Royal Blood, Great Van Fleet and played major festivals like ACL, Bonnaroo, Governors Ball and more - Welles now bring their incredible live show to audiences across the country with Rival Sons, as well as performing at Shaky Knees fest this summer.
"MATTER OF FACT ROCK THAT FITS ALONGSIDE THE EARLY WORKS OF BOB DYLAN AND THE FLAMING LIPS... A MODERN CLASSIC" - NYLON
"RAW, HUMAN, AND POWERFUL" - PIGEONS & PLANES
"WARPED, PSYCHEDELIC GUITARS" - CONSEQUENCE OF SOUND
upcoming dates:
6/22 // Kansas City, MO // The Riot Room
6/23 // Minneapolis, MN // 7th St Entry
6/26 // Chicago, IL // Schubas Tavern - Lincoln Hall
6/27 // Columbus, OH // The Basement
6/28 // Nashville, TN // The Basement
9/7 // Austin, TX // Antone's*
9/8 // Dallas, TX // Club Dada*
9/9 // Houston, TX // White Oak Upstairs*
9/11 // St. Louis, MO // The Ready Room*
9/12 // Kansas City, MO // The Riot Room*
9/14 // Atlanta, GA // Masquerade Purgatory Stage*
9/15 // Carrborro, NC // Cat's Cradle*
9/17 // Brooklyn, NY // Music Hall of Williamsburg*
9/18 // Washington, DC // Black Cat Back Room*
9/20 // Philadelphia, PA // Boot & Saddle*
9/22 // Boston, MA // Middle East Upstairs*
9/25 // Detroit, MI // The Shelter*
9/27 // Indianapolis, IN // HiFi*
9/28 // Columbus, OH // The Basement*
9/29 // Chicago, IL // Beat Kitchen*
9/30 // Minneapolis, MN // 7th Street Entry*
10/2 // Denver, CO // Moon Room*
10/3 // Salt Lake City, UT // The State Room*
10/5 // Seattle, WA // Barboza*
10/7 // Portland, OR // Mississippi Studios*
10/11 // San Francisco, CA // Slim's*
*direct support for Dead Sara
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