The Olympics

The Zoo Crew, those groovy hippie DJs at THE ZOO radio station, are spinning "The Olympics" by Jesse Welles from his 2024 album Hells Welles, and the Zoo Freaks are loving every second of it. This biting folk protest song takes aim at America's aging leadership, with lyrics like "It's the geriatric narcissistic oligarch Olympics / And I got a front row seat," delivering a sharp, satirical jab at the political landscape. Saving Country Music notes that Welles lampoons the country's "geriatric leadership" with a cleverness that avoids preaching, making it a standout track for its nuance and wit. The song's raw energy and pointed commentary have resonated widely, especially on social media, where fans on platforms like Reddit's r/FolkPunk praise its relevance and compare Welles to folk legends like Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie.

One juicy tidbit about "The Olympics" comes from its reception on Instagram, where Welles' short, hooky snippets of the song went viral, racking up views for their blend of humor and social critique. However, not everyone was on board—Album of The Year reviewer HadleyInc called it out as one of the weaker tracks on Hells Welles, arguing it leans too heavily on buzzwords without deeper storytelling. Despite this, the song's bold take on current events has sparked lively debates, with fans on Facebook sharing clips and discussing its biting lyrics, some even creating memes about the "oligarch Olympics" line. The track's unpolished, woods-recorded vibe, as seen in Welles' viral videos, adds to its charm, evoking a modern-day protest singer strumming truths in the wild.

Jesse Welles, born Jesse Wells in Ozark, Arkansas, around 1994, kicked off his musical journey in 2012 under the alias Jeh Sea Wells, dropping homemade tracks on SoundCloud and Bandcamp. Growing up in Northwest Arkansas, he was steeped in classic rock influences like Led Zeppelin and Nirvana, which shaped his early sound. By 2012, he formed the band Dead Indian with Dirk Porter and Simon Martin, releasing two albums before moving to Nashville in 2015 to work with producer Dave Cobb. That same year, he dropped a cover of Nirvana’s "Heart-Shaped Box" and started Cosmic American with Simon Martin, Skyler Greene, and Blake Foster, though the band fizzled out by 2016. Welles’ big break came with his 2018 debut album Red Trees and White Trashes, a gritty rock record under the mononym Welles, but it was his 2023 pivot to folk protest songs on TikTok that skyrocketed his fame.

The shift to folk was sparked by personal events—after his father survived a heart attack in 2023, Welles began channeling his angst into songs about capitalism, war, and corporate greed, including "The Olympics." His X posts often tease new tracks or share snippets of performances, connecting directly with fans who call themselves Welles Freaks, much like the Zoo Freaks vibe. You can catch more of his raw, unfiltered energy on his official website, wellesmusic.com, or follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Fans have also carved out spaces like the r/FolkPunk subreddit and various Facebook fan groups, where they swap stories, share live show clips, and geek out over his lyrics. For the Zoo Crew and their listeners, Welles’ "The Olympics" is a perfect anthem for shaking up the airwaves with truth and a twang.