Jesse Welles Announces Sixth Studio Album ‘Masks Off’

Today, Jesse Welles has announced the release of his sixth studio album, Masks Off, which will be released June 12th, a culmination of his work since he came to prominence by performing in the Arkansas wilderness where he was raised and where he currently resides. “These songs were highlights of the past year, and they sort of speak to the moment we’re at,” he states. “I’m not trying to tell folks how to think or get a reaction. All I do is write my lyrics, make my records, and cross my fingers,” Jesse shares. The album includes songs that show the introspective and personal side of his songwriting like, “Siddhartha,” “This and Not Some Other Way,” and “Won’t You Come Out Tonight,” as well as studio versions of fan- favorite protest songs that have become staples of Welles’s set, including “Join Ice,” “Red,” and “Domestic Error.” Masks Off is available for pre-order on all formats here.

Today, Welles also shares the album’s eponymous first single, “Masks Off.” He shares, “it’s the culmination of the I.C.E. surge in Minnesota, the abduction of Venezuela’s leader, and the post-D.O.G.E. world where we’re realizing the masks are off, and they’re doing things in broad daylight without caring. Hate is out in the open, it’s permissible, and it’s encouraged. When we recorded it, I had gotten a new guitar at Carter’s in Nashville. I told Eddie, ‘Let’s get a Marshall stack and fucking blow this up with electric guitar’.” Listen to “Masks Off” below and watch the music video below.

Recently, Jesse Welles announced his 26-date Red Tour with headlining dates in cities including NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Nashville, and more (full dates below). These dates will feature support by special guests Steph Strings, Ratboys, and Hudson Freeman. Tickets for these dates are on sale now here.

Jesse Welles- Masks Off Track Listing
1. Masks Off
2.The Ballad of Big Balls
3. Everything Must Die
4.Technopagans
5. Meet the New Swamp
6. Siddhartha
7. Won’t You Come Out Tonight
8. Domestic Error
9. Red
10. Join Ice
11. This and Not Some Other Way

JESSE WELLES TOUR
Jul 9-12: Winnipeg, MB – Winnipeg Folk Festival
Jul 11: Saint Paul, MN – Minnesota Country Club Fest
July 24: Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company*
July 25: Asheville, NC – Asheville Yards*
July 26: Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheater*
July 27: Wilmington, NC – Greenfield Lake Amphitheater*
July 29: Richmond, VA – Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden*
July 31: New York, NY – The Rooftop at Pier 17*
Aug 1: Lafayette, NY – Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards*
Aug 3: Grand Rapids, MI – Meijer Gardens*
Aug 4: Indianapolis, IN – Rock The Ruins*
Aug 5: Kansas City, MO – Grinders*
Aug 7-9: Lyons, CO – Rocky Mountain Folks Festival
Aug 7-9: Alta, WY – Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival
Aug 9: Missoula, MT – KettleHouse Amphitheater^
Aug 11: Seattle, WA- Woodland Park Zoo                       Sold Out^
Aug 12: Portland, OR – Pioneer Courthouse Square^
Aug 14: Salt Lake City, UT – Red Butte Garden^
Aug 15: Dillon, CO – Dillon Amphitheater^
Aug 18: Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha^
Aug 19: Des Moines, IA – Val Air Ballroom^
Aug 21: St. Louis, MO – The Pageant^
Sep 6: George, WA – Gorge Amphitheatre
Sep 18 – 20: East Aurora, NY – Borderland Music Festival
Sep 27: Louisville, KY – Bourbon & Beyond
Oct 5: Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern+
Oct 6: Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern+
Oct 9: Austin, TX – Austin City Limits
Oct 16: Nashville, TN – The Pinnacle+
Oct 17: Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed+
Oct 18: Cleveland, OH – Agora Theatre+
Oct 20: Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE+
Oct 21: Washington, DC – The Anthem+
Oct 23: Philadelphia, PA – The Met Philadelphia+
Oct 24: Boston, MA – Roadrunner+
Oct 26: Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live! +
*Steph Strings
^Ratboys
+Hudson Freeman