Regarding his song “Form and Figure,” he said, “That was one of the first ideas I had. All of the songs for the EP flowed out naturally. I picked up the guitar and worked with my friend, Arun Bali, who is the guitar player for Saves the Day. He co-produced it with me,” he said. “It was really cool. I had never done a record like that before. It was improv almost as we went along, and we built the songs piece by piece. It surpassed my expectations. It turned out really cool, and I am working another EP that will be released in the fall.”
On August 17, 2018, Key will be performing an acoustic show at 89 North Music Venue in Patchogue, New York, with The Burbs. A portion of the proceeds helps those that are dealing with phenylketonuria (PKU). “I have been doing a lot of private acoustic engagements. They reached out for me to be a part of the show,” he said. “The Patchogue show will be awesome. I will likely be playing Yellowcard songs acoustically for that particular show.”
On September 18, he will be playing the Brooklyn Bazaar in Brooklyn, New York. “I will be in Brooklyn with Moose Blood, a band from the UK. I am looking forward to all those shows,” he said. “Check out the new EP Thirteen, and we will love to have you come out and sing the new songs in September.”
Key listed Coldplay as his dream collaboration choice. “If I could write with anybody in the world, it would be Coldplay. They are my favorite band ever. Working with those dudes would be on another level,” he said.
Digital transformation the of music business
Regarding the impact of technology on the music business, Key said, “I don’t think about it too much. I’ve always been in a band where the live show is the most important thing. Going out as a solo artist, that still holds true. The whole injection of the Internet and social media is a double-edged sword. Some artists can really benefit from it, while some artists have been hurt by it. Obviously, it has hurt record sales. All you can do is adapt and grow with it and keep moving. I am doing all this on my own, and in that aspect, having the Internet in my disposal is very beneficial, since I don’t have a record label, just my reach to my fans. It has been awesome, and the word has spread naturally and organically.”
His Thirteen EP is available on iTunes. “The new EP is quite different than Yellowcard. It has a different vibe and tone,” he said.
To learn more about William Ryan Key and his solo projects, check out his official website, and follow him on Twitter.
