Folk rock didn’t fizzle out with the 60s; two young musicians have been causing a stir online after their cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s iconic “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” went viral on YouTube, racking up half a million views in less than two months!
Jesse Welles, an Arkansas singer-songwriter, and Matt Quinn, frontman for the LA/Philadelphian indie rock band Mt. Joy, sit on a front porch in a scene that looks like it could have been pulled straight from the Vietnam War era. Both are armed with acoustic guitars and voices bound to leave any Music Man reader breathless.
While keeping things completely low-key without a mic stand in sight, the pair dig into the depths of ‘being,’ layering astounding levels of emotion over their bare-bones soundscape. Jesse’s young and husky voice comes grooved with the finest folk-rock tones; any slight imperfections only add to his show-stopping authenticity.
Matt Quinn flawlessly balances Jesse’s irresistible take on the timeless classic, matching his rock ‘n’ roll-meets-country voice in his own unique style, before Jesse backdrops Matt’s gruff and awe-striking highlights with harmonies.
Viewers have been spellbound by this clip, comparing Jesse’s voice to John Fogerty, the lead singer from Creedence Clearwater Revival, who had formed the band with his brother back in 1967. This cover in particular is solid proof that some songs can endure an eternity and still sound as fresh as the day they were released, especially as Jesse and Matt preserve CCR’s organic bittersweet feeling riddling the lyrics.
Jesse Welles has been releasing tunes since 2012; first in his solo project Jeh Sea Welles, then in the band Dead Indian, then in another side-band named Cosmic-American, before switching his solo name to Jesse Welles, under which two back-to-back albums were released last year. Jesse’s innate vocal similarity to Vietnam era folk-rock isn’t a coincidence, however; his two albums of 2024, “Hells Welles” and “Patchwork,” come ribbed with pure-acoustic protest songs comparable to Bob Dylan, served with fresh political statements and lyrical messages which can be traced back through the decades.
While the world speeds by into a technocracy, artists like this pull us back into a real and soulful perspective; rejecting the wizardry of music production to serve songs straight from the heart using a pen and paper, a guitar and a voice. And it’s not just an old man’s game; Jesse’s Israel-Hamas protest track, “War Isn’t Murder,” has already topped one million hits on YouTube, while Creedence Clearwater Revival’s original version of “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” is still being listened to as intently as ever, amassing over one billion streams on Spotify to date.
Jesse Welles and Matt Quinn have reignited the spirit of folk rock with their viral rendition of “Have You Ever Seen The Rain?” Their raw, emotive performance is a testament to the enduring power of music that transports us back in time. If you’re looking to explore more from these talented artists and delve deeper into the legacy they’re continuing, check out the links below.