Daily Inspiration: Meet Wes Dorethy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Wes Dorethy.

Hi Wes, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I come from a religious family in rural Arkansas where my parents have a small farm and homeschooled my two sisters and I all the way through high-school. When I was six my parents got us an electric keyboard for Christmas and then four years later my Grandpa gave me an acoustic guitar and fiddle. From that point on I knew music was going to be what I did with my life and I started writing songs almost immediately. For the rest of my teens and early twenties I played wherever I could with many different groups as well as solo and travelled all over the US and Europe, playing anything from DIY spaces to bars to Mexican restaurants.

Growing up in the Ozarks and in the internet age I had the unique experience of discovering traditional folk music and modern indie rock at the same time. I would visit my Grandpa on the holidays and play old fiddle tunes with him and then later that evening scavenge every YouTube performance I could find of bands like Switchfoot and Manchester Orchestra. My songwriting and musicality was heavily informed by both of those worlds, as well as my upbringing in the small town south.

A few years ago I got a call from Quinn Hill, drummer for Ashley McBryde and long time friend, and he asked if I would be interested in trying out for Ashley’s band. I drove up to Nashville and I’ve been playing for her ever since. Everything was put on hold in November of 2022 when I was involved in a near-fatal ATV incident. That experience was a huge learning experience for me on how fragile life is but also reaffirmed more than ever for me that music is what I’m supposed to be doing on this earth. After recovering I went back to touring with Ashley and the band in April 2023 and have since completed some huge milestones, such as playing Red Rocks and touring the United Kingdom.

I currently reside in Nashville and still play with Ashley full-time. When I’m not on the road I write and play my own shows and just released my second full-length solo album this year, In The Name Of Freedom.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh, how I wish it was smooth, haha. My story is not unique in that sense. Everyone I know has had their own set of hardships to work through. Trying to play music for a living has never been easy. There have been many nights of sleeping in the van in Walmart parking lots and living off Chef Boyardee and Ramen. We’d routinely drive through the night after a gig so we could make it to our 6:00 AM grocery store jobs. Being away from home so much has its disadvantages too. There was a couple of years earlier in my life where I lost a lot of close family and friends in a short amount of time. Sometimes you’re 5 states away and just can’t make the funeral, and that’s tough on everyone. You’re with your best friends though, and you experience the highest highs together as well as the lowest lows, and that makes it all worth it.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m the multi-instrumentalist in Ashley McBryde’s band. I play mostly keys, guitar, fiddle, and harmonica. I really enjoy the flexibility to hop to whatever instrument each song needs, that seems to be really fulfilling for me. I also equally enjoy writing and singing my own songs as well and have spent as much time fronting my own band as I have spent backing other people. Other than playing a variety of instruments, I guess I could be known for my energetic and at times chaotic stage presence, haha. Every time we get on a stage I try to give it 110%.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
So much has changed since I first started touring 10 years ago. But honestly, I try to keep a positive outlook for the future. The fate of streaming, social media, AI, and things like that feels very uncertain to me, but I think people are always going to need live music. I don’t think Tik-Tok reels will ever replace the connection and magic you feel when you get a few hundred people in a room singing together. I do hope we’ll see less super-stars and more blue-collar mostly independent musicians and bands that are putting in the work and are able to sustain themselves comfortably with a dedicated group of fans. That way of doing music for a living feels more doable now than ever. I hope we lean into that as time goes on.

Contact Info:

• Website: wesdorethy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wesjdorethy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wesjdorethy
• Twitter: https://x.com/wesjdorethy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wesjdorethy