Ryan got his first guitar at the age of 16 in December 2011. He felt late to the party so to speak as everyone seemed to already be in bands at the time. So he learned pretty fast, self taught, how to play some basic chords with the help of YouTube videos and learning some covers. Ryan attempted to form a band with some friends in school which included Thomas Begg, Sean Keogh, and Adam Hayes. Thomas and Ryan were the only ones that were serious about music and about starting a band. So they would become a duo (compared to Simon and Garfunkel in looks) called The Fretones. It was then that Ryan started writing his first bits of music. They were joined by Vlad Gurdis as a third member as they tried their best to form a band. They'd meet up a few times but life had its own plans and The Fretones were no more. 

For a long time, Ryan worked in retail jobs and wrote music when he could, attending open mics every now and then, and even be included at a music event in Athlone. It wasn't until early 2016 that Ryan had reached out to an advert left on a Start a Band Ireland page on Facebook. It was Killian Dowling and Aaron Kavanagh looking to get a band together and they were looking for a singer/songwriter. The three of them really clicked and later to join was Alexei Barrett on drums. 

While on the bus to work one day, Ryan came up with the band name Two For Joy and it was voted by the others as the favourite choice. 

They recorded some songs and learned some originals and were invited to be headline band for a charity concert at a Costa Cafe. They were supported by James Darcy and Josh Bibat and even joined forces for the final song, Do They Know It's Christmas.

But just as things were taking up speed and getting radio show appearances, Two For Joy took a sudden stop as Aaron Kavanagh left for Canada and both Killian and Aaron fell out. Alexei Barrett didn't show up to any more sessions, and so it was just Ryan and Killian who decided to be in an uncommitted sort of band (as work life and other music opportunities and bands could happen), although it was certainly committed to Ryan. Ryan wanted to keep the band name Two For Joy even though, most of the time it was a solo act. Ryan wanted to leave it open for musicians to come and go as they pleased.

And over the years there have been many members, temporary and recurring, of Two For Joy. One of those members is Lee Riordan, which Ryan met at a talent show in Maynooth in 2017 organized by his wife, Jacqueline Farrell. Lee, as one of the judges, was captivated by Ryan's lyrics as he sang his song Tribute, and later that night Lee invited Ryan to his home studio for a session. And they clicked. Since then, Lee has added his drums and vocals to the sound of Two For Joy. Below is a list of all who have been involved from start to finish, and many of them still get involved to this day, and those who haven't are always welcome no matter how long it has been. This is Ryan's vision of what Two For Joy is, and hopes that the list may grow.

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Ryan Ennis

Aaron Kavanagh

Killian Dowling

Alexei Barrett

Vlad Gurdis

Lee Riordan​

Peter Omelia

Dan Monaghan

Darragh Shields

Matt Winston

Anthony Jones

Nathan Grant

Eoghan O'Dowd

Kurt Hollywood

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Two For Joy have recorded at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin three times in the last few years. First they recorded Spectacular Show, then Tribute, but in 2022 they recorded an entire album, One For Sorrow, with just over 8 hours of studio time. Ryan also challenged himself to release an album for each month of the year in 2024, resulting in 14 releases, surpassing the challenge. In 2025, Two For Joy released four albums, and started the Polaroid or Instax Series where every album cover was a photograph taken by Ryan with his Instax Mini 40 during walks and music sessions at Lee's studio.

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And a special thanks to those not on the Two For Joy list as members but have helped in other ways.

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Ciara Power

Tristan Shiels

Shawnee Conlon

Zachary Westhelle Hartfiel

Catherine Ennis

Bill Murray

Jacqueline Farrell

Tommy Keyes

Rafael Evans

Aaron Kavanagh (of Post Burnout.com)

Elastic Stage

And to all the listeners.

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The Story Continues...

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