WILLIAM RYAN KEY is proud to release his brand new third solo EP Everything Except Desire, out now via Equal Vision Records. Preceded by singles “Face In A Frame” and “Brighton,” the new music has received praise from critics, with New Noise Magazine stating, “This release shows a softer and more experimental side to his musical ability and paints a new picture for the singer, songwriter, and producer.” Speaking about prior single “Brighton,” CelebMix noted, “We are obsessed with the airy and textural track which pushes Key further left from his past duties in the band Yellowcard.” Digital Journal added “Key allows his rich, resonant voice to shine in on ‘Brighton.’ It stands out sonically and lyrically; moreover, it garners two thumbs up.”
“Ever since I started making my own music, I think I’ve been searching for what became Everything Except Desire,” says Key about the new EP. Textured with multi-layered soundscapes that incorporate pastoral washes of piano, strings and synths, the music from Everything Except Desire evokes emotions through complex song structures that show Key’s passion for experimentation.
Having forged his music career in seminal alt-rock band Yellowcard with eight albums, Key began his solo career, releasing two critically-hailed EPs Thirteen and Virtue in 2018 that saw him exploring new musical styles and experimenting with different song structures. Media took note, with Substream Magazine praising his debut EP, “William has created something special with Thirteen. Nothing here remotely reminds the senses of Yellowcard, instead we are treated to something fresh and sincere.” Indie tome Altwire witnessed his further progresion with his second EP Virtue, saying it “establishes Key’s foothold as an exceptionally honest songwriter with a far greater sense of self-confidence, completely without hesitancy to put out into the world what most would prefer remain hidden away.”
Conceived and produced by Key on a month-to-month basis through Patreon at the start of Summer 2020, he reached out to friends Ryan Mendez, Erich Talaba, and Mike Kalajian to help in the recording of the record. The result is an EP that isn’t as much an extension of Thirteen and Virtue as it is a progression forward. “I took a risk and created something completely unlike anything I’ve released in the past,” he beams. “This record felt like a big step for me both as a writer and a producer.”
Everything Except Desire is out today, February 11, 2022 via Equal Vision Records and can be ordered at https://wrk.lnk.to/desire.
EVERYTHING EXCEPT DESIRE
Track Listing
1. The Swim Back
2. Face in a Frame
3. Brighton
4. Heavens
5. Union Chapel