Jesse Welles Announces New Highly Anticipated Studio Album “Middle”

The Bob Dylan of this generation? John Prine on steroids? Jason Isbell without all the judgy baggage? Whatever you want to call Jesse Welles, he’s become a musical phenomenon. Saving Country Music called him the 2024 Songwriter of the Year, knowing that what he did in 2024 was unprecedented, but what he might do in 2025 could be even more important as the world slowly wakes up to what it has in its midst.
All the viral videos and the commentary were great, and they continue to resonate as Welles continues to churn them out at an inhuman pace. But the question Welles left us with at the end of 2024 was, “Where does this go from here?” The answer very well might be coming on February 21st when he releases his new album called Middle. Produced by Eddie Spear of Sierra Ferrell and Zach Bryan fame, this won’t just be a compilation of his viral video acoustic recordings or a dump of previously-recorded material. This will be a full studio release.
Jesse Welles is no newcomer. He’s been playing music and touring for the past decade under various band names and pseudonyms. He’s been signed to record labels. He was dropped during the pandemic, and almost gave up on music for good. Having performed in and around Arkansas ever since he was 12, it was sitting by his father’s bedside after he’d suffered a heart attack in February that Welles found the inspiration to transform himself as an artist, and be the most authentic version of himself possible, and under his real name.
Now that blazing honesty and his incisive writing has made him one of the hottest commodities in all of music. His previously-announced 2025 tour starting February 15th has sold out every single show. The festivals are starting to figure it out, and are booking him as well. But a proper studio album might be the perfect thing to put Jesse Welles over the top.
Ahead of the new album, Welles has released the song “Horses” (listen below). It’s a smart combination of his brilliant lyricism, but with a full band sound behind him to make it accessible.
Timing is so imperative to when or how an artist rises and falls. Jesse Welles is one of those artists that is perfect for this time and place, offering heterodox criticisms for universal problems in a way that’s riveting, while the sheer volume of his output is incredible, if not overwhelming.
Middle is now available for pre-save.
Track List:
1. Horses
2. Certain
3. I’m Sorry
4. Fear Is The Mind Killer
5. Wheel
6. Anything But Me
7. Every Grain of Sand
8. Simple Gifts
9. Why Don’t You Love Me
10. Rocket Man
11. War Is a God
12. Middle
February 1, 2025 @ 10:10 am
Easily Jesse Welles’ “Middle” is my most anticipated album purchase. His musical commentaries (read: songs) are truly the next level of early Dylan’s output. I am constantly stunned to find one or two new songs each week on his YouTube channel. An amazing talent!
February 1, 2025 @ 8:45 pm
Awesome. After listening to every new release on YouTube, it’ll be great to listen on old school premier stereo. Thanks, Jesse & company. We love you.
February 1, 2025 @ 11:51 am
Isnt anyone who says anything judgey then? Jason Isbell got ripped to shreds by you for bringing politics into music this guy gets promoted. I like it but I like judgey music that has something to say even if I dont agree with someones point of view.
Bob Dylan said stuff 50 years ago and the reason his early songs still have relevance is because a lot of the meanings behind his songs still apply now. So its great that theres still people out there saying things that need to be said. Well done Jason and well done Justin and any songwriter who has things to say about the state of the world and issues in it such as gun control or devious politicians.
February 1, 2025 @ 12:20 pm
Yes, and Jason was so clever at banning people who did not take the covid jabs, from his concerts.
Real smart guy, that Isbell.
STILL Laughing.
February 1, 2025 @ 1:12 pm
But thats got nothing to do with music di has it? Nothing at all. Van Morrison and Eric Clapton both wanted to play live music while covid was still going on and also a lot of musicians were told they couldnt perform unless those measures were in place. Those rules were put in place by politicians. For instance they tried to make people working in hospitals have the jab or use their jobs. The jabs seemed to work better than the silly masks though.
The American people voted Donald Trump into power even though the guy should be in prison, NO ONE should be laughing about that.
February 1, 2025 @ 1:19 pm
Alright folks, we’re way off topic here.
February 1, 2025 @ 12:36 pm
See, this gets to the fundamental misunderstanding of my Jason Isbell criticism over the years. I was never against him broaching political topics in his music. My issue was how he actively said that he doesn’t anybody who disagreed with his stock, unexamined political stances pulled from the binary to listen to his music, and to stop following him on social media, actively creating a counter-productive movement from the causes he purported to champion, both in his music, and in his public presence.
Counterbalance that with Jesse Welles who is able to take what some might consider political subjects and expose how they’re universal, and says in his new song, “So I’m singing this song about loving all the people you’ve come to hate.” That’s Dylan-esque.
I think Jason Isbell is a brilliant songwriter. He won my 2023 Song of the Year. But I think he’s doing himself is huge disservice by being so judgemental of the people his music could help, if he didn’t burn the bridge between them.
February 1, 2025 @ 12:48 pm
“”So I’m singing this song about loving all the people you’ve come to hate.””
I love this line.
But, do not consider him Dylan.
Would rather he just be Jesse, and spread true love.
February 3, 2025 @ 7:56 am
me too.😁
along those lines for the folks that believe in God.🛐☮️❤️✝️
“You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”
– Anne Lamott
February 3, 2025 @ 10:36 am
“”So I’m singing this song about loving all the people you’ve come to hate.””
Jesse has the right idea – for all people.
None of us are going to like the actions of all people.
However, we can choose to love all people.
February 1, 2025 @ 1:40 pm
Masters of war isnt a song about loving all the people youve come to hate, neither is The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll, Hurricane, Only A Pawn in Their Game, The Death of Emmett Til, They still apply in todays world though you can still listen to them and they are relevent. Even though its now the politically songs that you hate Jason Isbell singing will probably still apply. For instance nearly 45 years since John Lennon got shot theres a song on weathervanes that brings up owning guns. America should have done something about strict gun control laws now. Itll be a bit sad if in another 45 years America still hasnt done anything and it shouldnt need any songwriter to say it , its common sense.
February 1, 2025 @ 3:27 pm
“Even though its now the politically songs that you hate Jason Isbell singing will probably still apply.”
But again, it’s not Jason Isbell’s songs that I “hate.” It’s him tell people who don’t agree with him 100% about political politics to not listen to his music, so they never interact with the message of “Cast Iron Skillet” because they’ve been banished from his audience. I never remember Bob Dylan doing that.
February 2, 2025 @ 8:26 am
But what political messages in Jason’s songs offend you? The thing with Bob Dylan though is hes never cared about what people think about him. Nobody really knows Bob Dylan and no one knows Jason Isbell either their music just speaks to people so much that people THINK they do.
The reason Bob rarely gives interviews is because people will write whatever they want to anyway and believe what they want too. His lyrics are so clever that many people dissect them and want to read into them, what they want too.
Lots of upcoming songwriters have been compared to Bob (conor oberst of Bright Eyes might be one example) but while it gets them some initial attention its a HUGE comparison too make. Remember Townes Van Zandt
Anyway regardless of a difference of opinion (I welcome any songwriter who has something to say politically myself) thanks for highlighting another artist and helping to get Jesse on the radar.
The next time you take a swing at Jason ill just ignore it, your not gonna change your mind I wont change mine. As Foxes in the snow will prove as annoying as you find him he aint going away.
February 2, 2025 @ 9:25 am
Hey Desolation73,
I honestly don’t mean to come across as argumentative. But as I explained in my last response, and the response before that, and countless times in the past, IT IS NOT THE POLITICAL MESSAGES IN JASON ISBELL’S SONGS that offend me. Not to say they don’t offend someone. But the issue MOST people take with Isbell is his public persona where he says point blank that he doesn’t want anyone who might disagree with him to listen to his music, or to come to his shows, or to follow him on social media. That is directly counter-productive to changing people hearts and minds through music.
I don’t know how I can be more expressive about this point. But the fact that it keeps coming up illustrates how people talk past each other when it comes to political matters, and who Jesse Welles is so unique in how he can build consensus around subjects others render polarizing. That is the Jesse Welles genius.
As for the finer points on Bob Dylan, I’m not here to argue any of that. I don’t consider myself a Bob Dylan expert. I’m simply say the type of invective songwriting of Jesse Welles is similar to early Dylan.
February 2, 2025 @ 10:21 am
Respectfully, if you think that many people are “changing their hearts and minds” by listening to a Jason Isbell song, well the words of “Rainbow Stew” are appropriate.
I respectfully don’t think this is a fair criticism of Isbell. Bob down in Alabama that thought electing a football coach to the Senate and Marsha in San Fran who keeps checking that ballot for Nvidia Nancy are not changing their respective political views either way because they heard “Outfit”.
February 2, 2025 @ 1:10 pm
Jason Isbell is literally from Alabama, so I’m not sure that’s a good analogy.
What effect songs have on the hearts and minds of people is up for debate. I do think people can change their minds from the perspective shared in a song, though it might not be down straight political party lines. My deeper point is if you’re actively saying you’re trying to repel anyone who thinks differently from you, you’re working against building a consensus on your side, not for one. Then when you have the press praising you for all the progressive work you’re doing, it makes it that much more ironic, and misguided.
February 2, 2025 @ 12:07 pm
I am thinking about your argument, Trigger, and I am wondering why you take issue with Isbell’s statements about who shouldn’t bother listening to his music or going to his concerts? I am fine with Isbell’s music, though I don’t listen to him all that often, and I am also fine with his position about people not going to his concert. I guess I am not convinced that music has to be about bringing people together, or changing their hearts and minds. Some music, and some performers, aren’t all that interested in being for everyone. They have their audience, and that is who they welcome– their people. I just don’t see anything wrong with that.
February 2, 2025 @ 1:05 pm
” I guess I am not convinced that music has to be about bringing people together, or changing their hearts and minds. Some music, and some performers, aren’t all that interested in being for everyone. They have their audience, and that is who they welcome– their people. I just don’t see anything wrong with that.”
I agree that you don’t have to be uniting, or benevolent in some way with your music. But Jason Isbell is constantly praised for being progressive and an activist, and using his music to push for important causes when empirically the outcome of what he does is the exact opposite by repelling people from the causes he purports to champion.
I talked about this a while back in connection to an LA Times feature that praised the “Radical empathy of Jason Isbell” while in the same breath (and image) quoting him as saying, “I like running off people who are closed-minded. I’m not trying to sway them to one side politically.”
If you’re a Democrat, a progressive, believe in the same causes Jason Isbell does etc., he is very directly and empirically detrimental to that cause, full stop. In fact, he’s proud of that, and strangely, gets celebrated for it.
This is really not the best place for this discussion. But if you want to read more, you can do so at this article:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/the-confounding-dichotomy-of-jason-isbell/
February 2, 2025 @ 6:13 pm
Thanks for your response, I appreciate it and agree with you. I suspect I am politically fairly close to Isbell, but from the few interviews I have read I can’t say that I find him the least bit likable. I guess it proves your point, being politically aligned doesn’t mean I want to spend my to my time or dime on you.
February 1, 2025 @ 7:08 pm
Although I agree with you Trigger , I’m not sure the comparison with Dylan and Isbell’s music message is the same…certainly Dylan upset fans and lost listeners when he went Electric , recorded in Nashville, Born Again phase, etc…We all seem to bring a listeners bias to the table
February 2, 2025 @ 8:30 am
Im not sure Bob’s political views upset that many people at the time. He said what most people wanted to say at the time. The sad thing is much of what he said in those songs is still so relevent. But he was a trailbrazer his singular vision changed music forever.
February 2, 2025 @ 9:28 am
The mentioning of both Bob Dylan and Jason Isbell was to give a frame of reference to people who might not know Jesse Welles, and try to give (‘similar to’) quick examples of what the audience can expect. Of course it goes without saying hat all three artists are different, and that Jesse Welles doesn’t yet have the skins on the wall of these two juggernaut songwriters.
And all songwriters piss people off. In part, that’s their job is to challenge prevailing narratives and disrupt.
February 1, 2025 @ 7:39 pm
Couldn’t agree more about Trump,Desolation73 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!