Weslee

They say a lot of things are needed to make good art come together: timing, skill, location, and sometimes even donuts. In the case of one up and coming band, all of these were true. Globally emerging musical duo WESLEE is proof that sometimes, art is simply meant to be.

Not too long ago, fate brought Midwest native Josh and London songstress Emma together in New York city to create their band, Weslee. Between Emma’s smooth vocals and powerful lyricism and Josh’s brilliant sound editing and producing, the two form what they like to call the “joint brain” behind the band, working together to bring Weslee’s music to life.

It’s difficult to pin down Weslee’s distinct sound, as the band succeeds inmaking music that defies time, genre, and category.

“If we had to describe our music in a few words maybe we’d say mood, honest and authentic,” Josh and Emma reflect. “‘Mood’ because whatever we write comes from the mood or vibe we are in at the time it was created, everything we do changes based on the mood we are in or the energy we are feeling on that day. ‘Honest’ because everything comes from an honest place, the stories are real, whether they be personal experiences or friends experiences, they are all real. ‘Authentic’ because whatever we do we want to make sure it stays authentic to us and who we are. We hope it connects with everybody.”

It seems their wish has come true; Weslee has a huge, diverse, and global audience.Their music has topped charts in Europe as well as in the United States, probablybecause their sound is so eclectic.

“The way it all started is still pretty cool,” the two recall. “‘Gassed’ premiered on BBCRadio 1’s “New Names” and then 24 hours later became the “Hottest Record in theWorld.” That’s the first time that has ever happened.”

This crazy chain of events is just further proof of the band’s infectious sound and the artists’ ability to connect to so many different people. Weslee has a song for every vibe; while “Bathwater” or “Sweat Dreams” will make you want to dance around with your friends, ballads like “Tongue Tied” will put you in your feels. Emma’s voice is uniquely beautiful, bringing grace and power to every song. Coupled with Josh’s funky sound mixing skills, the band brings joy, calm, and authenticity to their listeners, connecting with them in a real and honest way.

Aside from putting out bop after bop, Weslee has a number of other creative projects. Over the past year, the band has put out several videos for songs such as the pensive and artistic “Bathwater” and the joyful and colorful “Sweat Dreams.” The band also has a beautifully curated instagram to not only promote their music and concerts, but to illustrate the band’s kooky personality.

“Santa has his elves and we have Artie,” joke Emma and Josh. “We had been talking about having our Instagram be one big collage for a long time. Our friend Arthur is the brain behind our Instagram feed, he will put ideas together and send them to us and then we tweak it until we are all happy. It seems to be working! It feels like it represents our personalities and us but in a visual way.”

Just as the duo suspected, Weslee’s fans are clearly drawn to theband’s grounded and relatable presence. Josh and Emma speak togetting inspiration from the simple things in their lives.

“We’re inspired by everyday life experiences but also other creators, going to a movie, reading a book, looking at pictures, talking to each other or talking to anybody,” they admit. “It all inspires us even if we don’t realize it at the time, it all comes back around.”

Although Weslee has seen massive success already, the artists arescheming for even more, and some of it is just as zany as you mighthave imagined.

“In a few years hopefully we will have that doughnut show we’ve always wanted,” the two artists joke. “Don’t want to give away too many details but we both have a love of doughnuts. It’s actually one of the first things we bonded over. The doughnut show hopefully leads to a doughnut shop. Oh yeah, and we are still making and putting out songs!”

Weslee is wacky, different, and heartfelt, and fun – their musicconnects with fans in a really special way. Be sure to give them alisten soon, as this duo is sure to blow up before we know it.