About
Also known as: Jason Webley and Friends
Jason Webley makes music that sits somewhere between folk, experimental, and the genuinely theatrical. Based in Everett, Washington, he plays guitar and accordion, and when he tours he drags along a plastic vodka bottle filled with coins from around the world, which he shakes and stomps on for percussion. His sound draws comparisons to Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, and Bob Dylan, though his live shows have their own weird energy entirely. His 1999 album Against the Night remains a fan favourite, anchored by live staples like "Dance While the Sky Crashes Down". Webley has never been content with straight touring. He organized the all accordion Monsters of Accordion road show, collaborated with Amanda Palmer on the Evelyn Evelyn project, and has made deeply local albums like Margaret and One Hundred Years Ago Tomorrow, both rooted in the history of Everett. His most recent large scale venture is the Flotsam River Circus, a floating performance troupe that performed more than 30 free shows along the Mississippi River in 2023.
