EP REVIEW | The Never Ending

If you’re anything like me, you must have learnt to be cautious when it comes to Disney stars launching into music careers. Most of the time, they manage to give us a glimpse of their singing voice one way or another, through YouTube videos or performances on whatever series they star in, then they sign with Hollywood Records and boom, they are immediately sent to every radio station before anyone can even really develop their own opinion on the artist’s music.
But you should never judge a book by its cover.
What if I told you that there’s one Disney star, who 1) joined a band instead of going solo, 2) didn’t sign with any label and 3) wrote, produced and released a debut EP completely independently?

Yup, Debby Ryan has chosen to do it her way.

The ‘Jessie’ star now serves as frontwoman for The Never Ending, a band that describes themselves as “carnival folk rock.” Joined by drummer Johnny Franco, guitarists Carman Kubanda and Kyle Moore, bassist Edwin Carranza and keyboardist Harry Allen, the 21-year-old spent weeks writing with Nick Santino (A Rocket To The Moon) among other people at the Ryan River Studio, which is owned by brother/producer Chase Ryan. “ONE” came out on June 24th on iTunes.

Through soft melodies and acoustic driven songs, Ryan and her band take you to a whole other world. Described by fans as a “a sweet, mellowed out little piece of bliss,” the EP starts out with the band’s first single “Mulholland Drive,” which is a perfect example of the sound The Never Ending is trying to convey. Driven to the sweet sound of an acoustic guitar, the vulnerable lyrics follow the 6 musicians’ fight not to lose themselves under the spotlight.

The next track is most likely the reason why so many people ranked the EP in the pop category. Though “Ruthless” totally fits with the first track in the EP, it is definitively a more radio-friendly tune, which shows the diversity of sounds that The Never Ending has to offer.

Yet, if there was only one or two songs that you had to check out, it would be the two following tracks, “Before I Go Upstairs, and “Call Me Up.”
“Before I Go Upstairs” slows the tone of the EP, thus giving the band the opportunity to showcase the unique edge in Ryan’s voice.
As for “Call Me Up,” it has quickly become the fans’ favorite. With lyrics that could rightfully be described as sassy, the upbeat tune has Ryan calling out guys using women as some sort of toys. “Just forget my name, and all your stupid games,” Ryan sings in the bridge.

The rawness of Ryan’s voice disappears into a whisper for the last song, “When The Dark Falls.” Formerly titled “Waltz,” the tune which Ryan calls her “insomnia song” include a very circus-themed slow melody which goes well with the cover art the band has chosen for their first EP.

A perfect mix of folk and indie pop rock songs, The Never Ending couldn’t have done better than “ONE” to launch their career as a band!
Make sure to follow the band on Facebook and Twitter for updates!