Meet Solo Artist And Multi-Instrumentalist Ethan Dossett

written by Nicolas Erickson

City-County Observer Entertainment Editor

Life is multi-faceted. Any shared experience, good or bad, can be interpreted differently depending on the person. The expression is indisputably vital for many people, and through a creative outlet, some find themselves in the fullest context. Since early 2017, Owensboro stationed solo artist and multi-instrumentalist Ethan Dossett has built a reservoir for his emotions to which others can also channel themselves- Nesting.

Dossett couples the artistic tendencies of minimalism with passion-laced poetry, ambiance, and acoustics. Even in tracks void of vocals, there’s a driven narrative. Dossett says his goal from the start is to be a representation of his life and personal experiences.

“Nesting for me is a way to express myself and to connect with others,” Dossett said. “I wanted to embody the human experience and translate that into instrumental music.

When it comes to thinking of what he wants to do with his life, Dossett said it comes down to wanting to have a positive impact on a large demographic.

“Music is another medium that I hope can help me accomplish this goal,” Dossett said.

Through Nesting, Dossett aims to promote understanding and appreciation for life. Additionally, he wants to promote love for one another, as well as the earth. Dossett recently started a nonprofit called The Kayal Project- an organization seeking to raise awareness of waterway pollution and overall environmental well-being.

“I hope to utilize Nesting and The Kayak Project to promote bliss and well being in the world. I have been playing music since I was about 11-years-old. Music has always been something that has brought me comfort and I knew that I wanted to make music I just didn’t know how to get that going. Being in college has allowed me to experience things, good and bad, and through these experiences, Nesting has always been an outlet.

The first Nesting EP, “Spring” was self-produced by Dossett in a makeshift studio crafted in his dorm room at Western Kentucky University. Being entirely instrumental and centered around the fretwork of an acoustic guitar, alongside bells and sparse samples, receiving positive feedback came with a sense of relief.

“I was honestly super scared because I didn’t think people would understand the music because of the lack of words,” Dossett said. “These songs will always be special to me and I always play these three songs live. The songs came from a solid month of writing and figuring out the guitars. I wanted to present Spring as a time of rebirth and the time of bliss. I think I embodied the overall feeling of the season well.”

Following “Spring“ came “Sounds Of…”, along with a handful of singles and his third collective installment, “Wander.” A sense of self-progression came with each release, along with the slow incorporation of the spoken word elements, as well as new instrumentation such as the delicate ukulele strums of “YOU.”

“The period of ‘Sounds Of…’ was a time in my life where I was struggling with mental health issues, and releasing this EP and having a community of support helped a lot,” Dossett said. “Wander gave me a sense of hope for the future because I thought of three places in the world I wanted to visit and I did my best to capture the feeling and vibe of that certain place. ‘Wander’ is a special EP, and gave me a consistent light in my life that I needed at that time.”

Honesty is on the forefront when it comes to the spoken word genre, given the stripped-back approach to the music. His single “For Kara” is a heartfelt recitation of love to his partner, and with his newly released EP from January, “Universal,” Dossett further let his physical voice emerge.

“I have always written poetry but I never released anything just based off of the perception of others, but I finally overcame that,” Dossett said. “Spoken word is a unique style, and I wanted to combine the instrumental values and I wanted to show a different side of my music with poetry.”

Though he feels spoken word in music isn’t that big at the moment, The vulnerability involved with writing spoken word is some of the most impactful and raw forms of art.

“It can sometimes be overwhelming, but there is a happy medium when it comes to it,” Dossett said. “You don’t want to be too overwhelming, but you also don’t want to leave out your truth and your story.”

Nesting has been performing live shows here and there since the start, from Clarksville, Tennessee to Evansville’s former PG coffee house. Dossett says his favorite show thus far was his album release show summer of 2018.

“My favorite song that I’ve written would have to be ‘Metro’,” Dossett said. “I wrote this song while in Washington D.C.last summer; the first time I rode on a metro. The song encapsulates that feeling of traveling and the overall vibe D.C. gave me.”

2019 is young, and with it holds new ambitions for Dossett to achieve.

“I hope to get into movie scoring this year; that has been one of my goals with Nesting for quite some time now,” Dossett said. “I am just going through the process of getting connected. “

Dossett also says he hopes to play more shows this year, as well as releasing more music sporadically.

“Last year I only played five shows, so this year I’m trying to do at least 10-20,” Dossett said. “With having just released “Universal”

I am also trying to play more shows this year in general. Last year I played 4 or 5 shows and this year I am trying to play at least 10 or 20. Since I just released an EP, I plan on periodically releasing a couple of singles, but I intend on releasing another EP or album this summer or fall.”

“It’s all about growth from here on out.”