Ryan Key

Last updated

Ryan Key
Ryan Key - 2006.jpg
Key performing with Yellowcard in 2006
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Ryan Key
Born (1979-12-17) December 17, 1979 (age 44)
Origin Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • musician
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
Years active1997–present
Member of Yellowcard
Website www.yellowcardrock.com

William Ryan Key (born December 17, 1979) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Yellowcard. He is the owner/operator of a recording studio in Jacksonville, Florida, called The Lone Tree Recordings. He is currently writing music under his full name, William Ryan Key, as a solo acoustic act and electronic act. He is also one half of JEDHA, an electronic duo consisting of himself and lead guitarist of Yellowcard, Ryan Mendez. [1] He has recently toured as guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist for New Found Glory. In late 2018, he played as a supporting act on Mayday Parade's Sunnyland tour along with This Wild Life. During 2021, he live-streamed his songwriting process on Twitch full-time.

Contents

Early life

Key was born William Ryan Key on December 17, 1979, in Jacksonville, Florida. He first used a piano at the age of 7 and a guitar at age 13. He attended Episcopal High School of Jacksonville before transferring to Douglas Anderson School of the Arts from which he graduated. Ryan then attended Florida State University together with fellow musician Dan McLintock from the local pop punk band Inspection 12, inviting Ryan to perform guest vocals on their 1999 album Step into the Fire for the song "Nothing to Lose". They majored in theater for a short while before dropping out to go to Santa Cruz, California and audition together for the Tooth & Nail punk rock band Craig's Brother, which was looking for two guitarists and backup vocalists. They were successful, but after touring for a while, at one time representing the band as an acoustic duo at the Cornerstone Festival, the band's van broke down and with the tour abruptly cancelled, Ryan moved back to Jacksonville and took a shift at Chili's with bandmate and friend Sean Mackin. [2]

Music career

Yellowcard

Key contributed to Yellowcard, although he was not yet a member at the time due to performing with Craig's Brother,[ citation needed ] by providing backing vocals for their first album. Key came back and replaced Ben Dobson as Yellowcard's lead singer in 2000 after being asked by guitarist Ben Harper. The band then released the Still Standing EP in early 2000. Shortly after the release of their EP, Todd Clary left the band. Key then became rhythm guitarist as well. The band then moved to Camarillo, CA after being signed to Lobster Records. They then began working on their next album.

Ryan Key in 2015 Ryan Key Scottsdale Az.jpg
Ryan Key in 2015

The group released their third album, One for the Kids , in 2001 and followed up with The Underdog EP [3] in 2002. After the release of The Underdog EP, Warren Cooke left the band for personal reasons. The band later asked close friend Peter Mosely from Inspection 12 to become the band's new bass guitarist. After Yellowcard released The Underdog EP the band signed with Capitol Records, who were looking to sign pop punk bands at the time. Yellowcard then began the recording of their major-label debut album Ocean Avenue in late 2002, gaining the band major success. Mosely left during recording of the album due to personal problems. The band then asked Alex Lewis to join as the bass guitarist. Yellowcard released their album Ocean Avenue on July 22, 2003, reached No. 23 on U.S. Billboard 200, the album was a commercial success in the United States with the hit singles Way Away, Ocean Avenue, and Only One.

In late 2004, Lewis left the band after Peter Mosely rejoined as the band's bassist. In 2005, Parsons went with the other band members to Los Angeles while Key and Mosely moved to New York City to create new material for their next album. Lead guitarist Ben Harper left the band in April after finishing guitar tracks for the album. The band then asked Ryan Mendez from the band Staring Back to become the new lead guitarist.

The album Lights and Sounds was released in January 2006, unlike their last album Ocean Avenue, Lights and Sounds broke away from the band's pop punk sound to a more alternative rock album. The album peaked at No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200. The title track, "Lights and Sounds", was the first single, released a week before the album. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks. Lights and Sounds did well on the charts and reviews, but failed to match the 2 million sales of the band's previous album.

On October 16, 2006, the band re-entered the studio to begin pre-production on their next album. Paper Walls was released in the U.S. on July 17, 2007, the album debuted at No. 13 on the U.S. Billboard 200 selling about 40,000 copies in its first week. The band spent the rest of the year promoting their new album nonstop since its release while touring with Linkin Park and Blue October. Yellowcard released their live album Live from Las Vegas at the Palms on January 22, 2008.

In April 2008, Yellowcard officially announced an "indefinite hiatus" canceling their European and acoustic tours. The band stated the reason why they went on hiatus was to focus on their personal lives for the time.

On August 1, 2010, it was confirmed that Yellowcard had ended their hiatus and was working on a new record, titled When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes to be released on Hopeless Records in early 2011. The band toured Europe in March 2011 alongside All Time Low. Yellowcard released three more albums, Southern Air (2012), Lift a Sail (2014) and the eponymous Yellowcard (2016), before disbanding in 2017.

Yellowcard reunited at Riot Fest on September 17, 2022. The band then embarked on tour to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Ocean Avenue in 2023. The band released the EP, Childhood Eyes , on July 21, 2023.

Other work

During the Yellowcard hiatus that began in 2008, Key also started singing in a side project entitled "Big If" with singer Sean O'Donnell of Reeve Oliver in February 2009. [4] Big If has released several songs on their MySpace page, but have not yet released a record. They are not currently signed to a record deal. Although they have never officially announced their break-up, all members of the band are now in Yellowcard and the band's Twitter and MySpace pages have been removed.

Key recorded a song entitled "Stop Right There" with Hollywood-based pop-punk band Assemble the Skyline. The track was released on January 7, 2011, with Assemble the Skyline's new EP "Right Here. Right Now". [5] Ryan also collaborated with the Michigan pop-punk band Every Avenue. He has co-written their songs "Girl Like That" from their album Picture Perfect, [6] and "Tie Me Down" from their album Bad Habits . [7]

He also worked with Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas, contributing vocals on his song "Gotta Get it Now".

Key also contributed guest vocals on a new Silverstein song, entitled "Stay Posi", released in early 2011.

Key and fellow Yellowcard member, Ryan Mendez, spent May 2012 producing and recording the Like Torches album Keep Your Head High.

In January and February 2015, Key stayed in Stockholm, Sweden where he produced a new album for Like Torches.

In August 2015, Key started a Kickstarter campaign for his new project The Lone Tree Recordings. The goal was to reach $75,000 by September 20 so that Key could start his record label, and he ultimately raised $106,372 to make that happen. One of the first bands to record was his side music projects Will & The Whiskeymen. He stated on the Kickstater page that the band's EP would be a Kickstarter-backer exclusive.

In September 2017, it was announced that Key would perform with Linkin Park in the Linkin Park and Friends – Celebrate Life in Honor of Chester Bennington, to celebrate late Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington. He was featured in the songs "Shadow of the Day" and the U2 song "With or Without You".

In October 2017, Key announced that he would produce a new Like Torches record in his newly built Lone Tree Recordings Studio.

On January 16, 2018, it was announced that he will be touring with New Found Glory on their "SICK TOUR" beginning in May 2018, as their second guitarist, keyboardist and "whatever other tricks songs call for", according to the band.

On May 18, 2018, Key released the first single, "Vultures", from his EP, titled Thirteen.

On September 14, 2018, Key released "The Bowery", from his upcoming EP, titled Virtue.

In December 2020, Key announced that he was working on an album of reimagined Yellowcard songs in his new musical style. The first of these songs released exclusively for his Patreon subscribers was Ocean Avenue. [8] He later revealed that he was working with Post-Rock Band Hammock on remixed versions of his reimagined tracks. He has since allowed his Twitch viewers to vote on which songs he works on for the project live on stream.

On May 31, 2021, Key announced, alongside Mendez, their new electronic project named JEDHA, with new music slated to release that same year. On June 7, 2021, the duo released the first song from the project, titled "Dividing Pair". [9]

On December 15, 2021, Key signed to record labels Equal Vision and Rude and announced his new EP, Everything Except Desire, which was released on February 11, 2022. [10]

Non-musical projects

In 2008, Key worked with Patrick Stump and Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy in a film called Moustachette. [11] He has appeared as a Made coach on the MTV series MADE and featured in MTV Cribs . [12] He also had an appearance as a partygoer in the 2008 film Cloverfield , and appeared in the film How to Make Love to a Woman in 2010.

Discography

Solo
with Yellowcard

Personal life

In 2012, Key became engaged to Alyona Alekhina. They married in 2013 in a hospital intensive care unit after Alekhina injured her spinal cord. [14] The couple later separated.

On May 14, 2022, Key announced to his Discord community that he became engaged to Laura Gillway while on a trip to Walt Disney World. Ryan and Laura married in December 2022, and live in Jacksonville, Florida. On July 24, 2023, the couple announced they were expecting their first child. Their son was born on December 11, 2023.

Related Research Articles

Craig's Brother is an American punk rock band. They have released three albums internationally, two on Tooth & Nail Records and one self-released.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellowcard</span> Rock band from Jacksonville, Florida

Yellowcard is an American rock band that formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997. The lineup currently consists of lead singer Ryan Key, lead guitarist Ryan Mendez, bassist Josh Portman and violinist Sean Mackin. Primarily a pop-punk group, their music is recognized for having a distinct sound in its genre, primarily due to the prominent use of a violin in their songs, and are best known for their singles "Ocean Avenue", "Only One", and "Lights and Sounds". Released in 2003, "Ocean Avenue" and its parent album of the same name are both certified double platinum in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); "Only One" and the band's 2006 album Lights and Sounds have been certified gold. The band has released ten studio albums, with its most recent, Yellowcard, released on September 30, 2016. Following this release and supporting tour, the band broke up. The band reunited in September 2022 for a performance at Riot Fest and embarked on a 20th-anniversary tour for Ocean Avenue in 2023. A new EP, Childhood Eyes, was released on July 21, 2023.

<i>One for the Kids</i> 2001 studio album by Yellowcard

One for the Kids is the third studio album by American rock band Yellowcard. It was released on April 3, 2001 on Lobster Records and is the first Yellowcard album to include Ryan Key as lead singer and guitarist. It was produced, engineered and mixed by Darian Rundall at Stall No. 2 in Redondo Beach, California. "Drifting" and "Rock Star Land" both originally appeared on the band's previous EP, Still Standing EP.

<i>Ocean Avenue</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Yellowcard

Ocean Avenue is the fourth studio album by American rock band Yellowcard. It was released on July 22, 2003, through Capitol Records. After touring to promote their third album One for the Kids in 2001, the band signed to the label in early 2002. Following this, bassist Warren Cooke left the band in mid-2002, and was replaced by Inspection 12 guitarist Peter Mosely. In February and March 2003, the band recorded at Sunset Sound in Hollywood, California, with Neal Avron. Ocean Avenue is a pop-punk and punk rock album, which was compared to Blink-182 and Simple Plan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reeve Oliver</span>

Reeve Oliver is an American pop rock band formed in 2000 in San Diego, California. They have released two albums and several EPs and have toured with larger acts such as The Vandals, Yellowcard, and Switchfoot. They have been locally recognized at the San Diego Music Awards, earning "best rock album" in 2003 for The Reeveolution EP and again in 2005 for Reeve Oliver, and being named "best rock act" at the 2006 awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Stump</span> American musician (born 1984)

Patrick Martin Stumph, known professionally as Patrick Vaughn Stump, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Fall Out Boy, originally from Wilmette, Illinois.

<i>Lights and Sounds</i> 2006 studio album by Yellowcard

Lights and Sounds is the fifth studio album by American rock band Yellowcard, released on January 24, 2006, in the United States through Capitol Records. Lights and Sounds is Yellowcard's first concept album, which was inspired to reflect what the band was feeling at the time of production and how they have matured in the process. Lights and Sounds also departs from the sounds on Yellowcard's previous album, Ocean Avenue (2003), which broke away from its pop punk sound to a more alternative rock album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rough Landing, Holly</span> 2006 single by Yellowcard

"Rough Landing, Holly" is a song by the American pop punk band Yellowcard. The song was written collaboratively by all the band members for their fifth album, Lights and Sounds (2006). The track is built around an introductory guitar sound, followed by a soaring chorus, and heavy beating drums. "Rough Landing, Holly" is one of the songs from the album that is based on a character, Holly Wood, that Yellowcard had developed while working on Lights and Sounds. Despite its name, the song has nothing to do with the plane crash of Buddy Holly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Way Away</span> 2003 single by Yellowcard

"Way Away" is the debut single by American band Yellowcard. It is the opening track of their fourth album Ocean Avenue. "Way Away" was released to radio on July 22, 2003. The song and music video both reflect the band's choice about leaving their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida to California in hopes of making a name for themselves in the Southern California music scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocean Avenue (song)</span> 2003 single by Yellowcard

"Ocean Avenue" is a song written and recorded by American rock band Yellowcard for their fourth studio album of the same name. It was released as the second single from Ocean Avenue on December 15, 2003, through Capitol Records. "Ocean Avenue" shares writing credits between the band's singer Ryan Key, guitarist Ben Harper, bassist Pete Mosely, drummer Longineu W. Parsons III, and violinist Sean Mackin. It was written about the band's teenage years along the Atlantic Coast. Neal Avron, a veteran punk rock producer, engineered and produced the tune.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Only One (Yellowcard song)</span> 2004 single by Yellowcard

"Only One" is the third single from American band Yellowcard. This song is the third and last single from Ocean Avenue and the sixth track.

<i>Paper Walls</i> 2007 studio album by Yellowcard

Paper Walls is the sixth studio album by American rock band Yellowcard, released on July 17, 2007. This is also the first Yellowcard album with Ryan Mendez, their last with Peter Mosely, and their last studio album to be released through Capitol Records. The album was recorded at Ocean Studios in Burbank, California and was mixed at South Beach Studios in Miami, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Mosely</span> American rock musician (born 1980)

Peter Michael Mosely is an American rock musician. He is one of the two guitarists and vocalists and the pianist for the American punk rock band Inspection 12, as well as the former bassist for the American rock band Yellowcard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Longineu W. Parsons III</span> French-born American rock musician (born 1980)

Longineu Warren "LP" Parsons III is a French-born American rock musician. He is best known as the former drummer of the American rock band Yellowcard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Portman</span> American musician

Joshua "Josh" David Portman is an American musician who is best known for playing bass guitar for the rock band Yellowcard since February 2012. Since 1994, he has played bass and guitar in a number of well-known punk/post-hardcore bands including Near Miss and Staring Back.

<i>When Youre Through Thinking, Say Yes</i> 2011 studio album by Yellowcard

When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes is the seventh studio album released by American rock band Yellowcard on March 22, 2011 under Hopeless Records. The album has received positive reviews. The album's title comes from a text message sent to a girl by lead singer Ryan Key.

HeyMike! is an American punk band out of Ventura County, California, United States. The band's name was originally used by singer/guitarist Steven Neufeld as the title of his early demo tapes from 1998-2001. HeyMike! resurfaced when Neufeld, bassist Josh McDonald, and drummer Justin "Juice" Cabrera signed to Takeover Records and published two records titled "Embrace Your Hooks," (EP) released in 2004, and HeyMike, released in 2006. Their third issue, Pop and Circumstance was released April 19, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Mackin (musician)</span> American rock musician (born 1979)

Sean Mackin is an American rock musician. He is best known as the violinist and backing vocalist for the American rock band Yellowcard and the only original member left in the band.

Benjamin Eric Harper is an American rock musician. He is best known for being the founder & former lead guitarist for the American rock band Yellowcard, as well as for the bands Amber Pacific and HeyMike! and This Legend. Benjamin Harper is founder and CEO of Takeover Records. Alongside these projects, Harper is the owner and founder of Takeover Live, a broadcasting and media production company that specializes in live-streaming bands along with giving artists a platform to share their sound on.

Inspection 12 is an American pop punk band from Jacksonville, Florida, founded by Robert Reid, Dan McLintock, John Comee and Scott Shad. They have released two full-length recordings internationally, one on Honest Don's Records and one on Suburban Home Records and Takeover Records. They have also released four full-length albums independently.

References

  1. ↑ "William Ryan Key launches Twitch partnership, new musical project Jedha - Digital Journal". Digital Journal. June 2, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Craig's Brother | Interviews". Indie Vision Music. July 20, 2010. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  3. ↑ "The Underdog EP info". Archived from the original on January 3, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  4. ↑ Paul, Aubin (February 25, 2009). "Yellowcard, Reeve Oliver members form Big If, put former bands on hiatus". Punknews.org. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Yellowcard's 'Rough Landing' Clip Lands Ryan Key On The Operating Table". MTV. February 16, 2006. Archived from the original on April 16, 2006.
  6. ↑ "Twitter / William Ryan Key: The new @EveryAvenue recor". Twitter.com. November 6, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Just found out the song I wrote with @everyavenue is the 1st song on their new record!!! SO STOKED! Thanks you guys!". twitter.com.
  8. ↑ "William Ryan Key on Twitter: "I'm excited to announce that #OceanAvenue is the 1st release in a series of reimagined @Yellowcard songs, available exclusively at https://t.co/ibezIsOav5. https://t.co/MdUwEo1tBr"". Twitter.
  9. ↑ "JEDHA - Diving Pair". YouTube . Archived from the original on December 22, 2021.
  10. ↑ William Ryan Key announces new EP 'Everything Except Desire'
  11. ↑ "Moustachette: A Film from the Mind of Patrick Stump". Moustachette.com.
  12. ↑ "Watch Ryan Key showing his house". Mtv.com. September 27, 2010. Archived from the original on November 1, 2009. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
  13. ↑ "WRK". Williamryankey.com. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Yellowcard document toughest year of lives on Lift A Sail". NewsComAu. October 1, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.