Stream: William Ryan Key, ‘Thirteen’

Kevin Bronson on June 12th, 2018

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For 17-plus years, Ryan Key was the lead singer of the pop-punk band Yellowcard, who caffeinated the emo kids with 10 full-length albums from the late ’90s through last year’s farewell tour. His debut EP as William Ryan Key bears little of his old band’s aesthetic. Released May 25, it’s titled “Thirteen,” after a pivotal year in the songwriter life. “2013 was a really difficult year for both me and the people I love,” he explains. Key co-produced the EP with Arun Bali of Saves the Day at his own studio, Lone Tree Recordings in Franklin, Tenn., and the single “Vultures” was the first single written for it. The sonics of the EP are campfire-warm, as Key’s gorgeously doubled vocals roast over his mellow acoustic guitar. His confessionals are a bit reminiscent of Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, and his earnest approach is bound to resonate with Yellowcard fans.

Key is currently on the road as a touring member of New Found Glory, and is doing a set of his solo tunes to start the night.

||| Stream: “Vultures”