Yes, you heard me right, and no, it’s not 2007—MySpace is still dead. Ryan Ross, on the other hand, isn’t. After nearly a decade of being out of the spotlight, the former Panic! at the Disco member is making his way back into the music scene.
On the fourteenth anniversary of the band’s debut album, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, Ross was featured in his first on-screen interview in years. In the interview, he discussed his plans for future music, claiming 2020 was going to be “the year.” He cited future releases and the upcoming Dead End Kids Club tour as well.
Though the interview was intended to be humorous, many fans were shocked by it, as it was the most press Ross has done since the early 2010s. He discussed his time in Panic! at the Disco as well, describing his odd text messages and harrowing experiences shared with previous member Jon Walker and current frontman, Brendon Urie. And hours after its release, he began trending on Twitter—essentially entering the most immense spotlight of this generation.
Image via Cherokee Presley
The content of the interview itself was particularly nostalgic, touching on his old bands and friends, as well. It is widely known that he’s not in contact with most of his former band members, most notably Urie, but many fans were saddened by his comment on the matter. When asked if he keeps in touch with them, he replied, “Not as much as I would like to be.”
Over the past decade, Ross has grown distant from his former peers and the music scene in general. Since his departure from Panic! at the Disco and The Young Veins ten years ago, the musician had slowly disappeared from the public eye and except for the occasional guest appearance, stopped performing altogether. He has been dropping breadcrumbs for years, scattering bits and pieces of unreleased music on Instagram and Soundcloud but had not announced any new music projects until last Christmas.
He was featured on ex-girlfriend/partner in crime, Z Berg’s “The Bad List,” a tragic holiday ballad detailing the pair’s rocky relationship that was accompanied by a rather grave music video. He has posted plenty of demos but has yet to release any studio work.
That changed in August, though, when Ross announced he’d be embarking on a tour with fellow artists Z Berg, Dan Keyes and Palm Springsteen and would be debuting new music. The group deemed themselves the Dead End Kids Club and will set out on their first tour through the Southwest this week.
This will be Ross’s first tour since his time with The Young Veins, a short-lived retro rock band helmed by the singer himself. His latest venture takes him back to his Panic! at the Disco days with the elaborate concepts and detailed aesthetics. While this tour might not compare to his former band’s “Nothing Rhymes With Circus” tour, which featured dramatic interludes and circus dancers (yes, there were circus dancers—stilt walkers too), his upcoming tour is bound to be a riveting time.
With the likes of Z Berg, a self-described old soul with a passion for killing Ross in her music videos, and the semi-formal dress code enforced, it will certainly be a unique tour, to say the least. The Dead End Kids Club have described it as a semi-formal, festive fall-ball.
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After years of being out of the public eye, it seems as though Ryan Ross has made a notable return to the music scene. Despite releasing little content over the past decade, he has been welcome back into the spotlight by long-time fans who have anxiously awaited his return. With his upcoming tour and music, his career is back on track. Over a decade after leaving the band that shaped his life and career, Ross is returning to what he knows best.
Featured image via Ryan Ross
