For as much as the world has changed since Real Friends first emerged in 2010, the band’s mission hasn’t. The Illinois quintet continue to bleed without apology and write songs that make it okay to feel everything: the ups, the downs, and anything else in between. Rather than shy away from emotion, the group run right towards it with distortion cranked and hearts opened, tightening their careful distillation of pop and punk on each subsequent release. When the band—Dave Knox (lead guitar), Kyle Fasel(bass), Eric Haines (rhythm guitar), and Brian Blake (drums) —welcomed vocalist Cody Muraro in 2020, the goal stayed the same as they crafted new music for Pure Noise Records.
Over the years, Real Friends have forged and strengthened a deep connection with fans. The group’s 2014 full-length debut, Maybe This Place Is the Same and We’re Just Changing, marked a turning point. Rock Sound named it one of the “Top 50 Albums of the Year.” 2016’s The Home Inside My Head maintained this momentum with further acclaim and sold out shows. In 2018, Composure incited applause from Music Connection, Alternative Press, Substream Magazine, New Noise, and Billboard who described it as “raw.” To date, they’ve also amassed over 100 million streams and counting. In 2021, they turned the page on a new chapter with the singles “Nervous Wreck” and “Storyteller.”
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In the fall of 2010 bassist Kyle Fasel "wasn't happy" with the music he was working on and wished to start over. Fasel called lead guitarist Dave Knox and the pair soon started talking about the goals they wished to achieve. Fasel didn't expect it to lead anywhere. Vocalist Dan Lambton, who was friends with Knox, received a call from Fasel, asking if he would like to join him and Knox. They were soon joined by drummer Aaron Schuck. The band recorded its debut EP, This Is Honesty, in the spring of 2011. Following the release of the EP, the band began playing shows around the Midwest. The group soon realized that it "didn't feel right, playing the songs they currently had. Almost forcing ourselves into sound." They had a meeting and came to the conclusion to start over. During this period of change, Fasel and Knox were playing in The Fastest Kid Alive. Shortly afterwards, Schuck was replaced by Brian Blake. Blake had emailed the band after he found out they needed a drummer.
Real Friends didn't have a permanent second guitarist, often having their friends to substitute. Eric Haines soon joined as a rhythm guitarist. Until Haines joined Fasel and Knox would typically write the songs and they didn't have "another guitarist's opinion", according to Fasel. Shortly after the release of the Everyone That Dragged You Here EP, the band's popularity increased and the audience at their shows also increased. The band later released the Put Yourself Back Together EP. Reviewing the EP for Rock Sound, Andy Biddulph said noted that he would not be "surprised" if the band was "mixing it with the big boys in a year's time". In November, the group supported The Wonder Years on their UK shows, included UK Warped Tour.
Fearless signed the band in December 2013. The band were initially hesitant to sign to a label but called Fearless "different. They made it feel more like a family." The group "still wanted full control of our band" while Fearless would help with marketing and distribution, according to Fasel. The band recorded their debut studio album in February with producer Seth Henderson. The band released its debut studio album, Maybe This Place Is the Same and We're Just Changing on July 22, 2014. The album sold over 10,300 copies, charting at number 24 on the Billboard 200. The band played on the 2014 Vans Warped Tour supporting the album's release, appearing on the Journey's Stage. More Acoustic Song EP was released for Record Store Day in April 2015. One of the tracks, an acoustic version of "Late Nights in My Car", features Kevin Jordan from This Wild Life.
Fearless Records announced that a new Real Friends record would be released on their label in 2016, through a post on their official Twitter account, which was made on December 22, 2015. Prior to the Fearless announcement, the band had made several references to the recording of a new album throughout 2015 on their Facebook and Twitter pages. Real Friends finished recording their second full-length album on the road, in February 2016. Prior to the album's announcement, the band began to play a new song entitled "Colder Quicker" during their live sets. On April 1, 2016, the band announced the title of their new album as being The Home Inside My Head, along with the album's release date, cover art and track listing. Additionally, on the same day the band released a music video for "Colder Quicker". The album was released on May 27, 2016.
On November 16, 2017 the band released a single entitled "Get By". On June 18, 2018 the band announced the new album 'Composure' set for release on July 13, 2018 to their home town fans during an RSVP Acoustic session. It was preceded two weeks prior by a single entitled "From the Outside", which was accompanied by a music video.
Style and influences
Real Friends has been described as pop punk and emo, as well as emo pop punk. Punknews reviewer said "If American Football went totally pop-punk, Real Friends would be the result." Vocalist Dan Lambton has been described as a cross between The Starting Line's Kenny Vasoli, The Wonder Years' Dan Campbell and The Dangerous Summer's AJ Perdomo. Bassist Kyle Fasel has cited American Football, Dashboard Confessional, The Early November, Jimmy Eat World, The Promise Ring, Saves the Day, The Starting Line, Spitalfield, Taking Back Sunday and Thursday as influences.
Bassist Kyle on the often used phrase "sleepy eyes and bony knees":
I think there’s something that needs to be explained on our end here. We released a new EP on June 4th titled “Put Yourself Back Together.” There are some references in the songs that mention sleepy eyes and bony knees. There have been some negative comments regarding the amount of times we mention those two things. I want to make this post to explain the detailed meanings of both of those subjects. I assure all of you out there that we would never put something in multiple songs that doesn’t have a great amount of meaning. These songs are my life summed up into some verses and choruses. These songs are my therapy, and that goes for the four other dudes in my band too. So here we go….
Sleepy eyes refers to a time in my life in 2011. I was going through a very messy break up which then lead to a love triangle and that lead me to be depressed. The girl that I was in love with since I was eighteen had found someone else that she grew to love. She told me that she still loved me as well though. This lead to lots of sleepless nights and some weight loss as well. Thirty pounds of weight loss to be exact. Listen to our song “Floorboards” for more details on that whole situation. Well anyway, this situation and some other ones over the past few years have led me to not being able to sleep at night. I had resorted to sleeping pills in 2011 when I was depressed. I also consider myself a night owl in general. I haven’t gone to bed before 2 am in years. But mainly sleepy eyes is something that I think we have all been through in life. It’s about those nights when you’re so overworked and have so much going on that you can’t fall asleep, even if you are physically tired. Not only do I write these songs for my own therapy, but I would hope that some of you could find some peace in them. So of course I’m going to reference this subject multiple times. And that is sleepy eyes.
Bony knees is a subject that pops up in a lot of our songs as well. I will keep it general at first here. I in fact do physically have bony knees. But I will surely say that there is a way deeper meaning behind these bony knees. It kind of all dates back to my depression in 2011. Like I stated before there was some weight loss, which made these knees a little more bony than before. I also found myself physically and mentally down on my knees while going through depression. Even after 2011, after I started feeling better, I would still find myself down and out on my bony knees physically and mentally. We all go through dirt in life and lot of times it makes us fall on our knees for awhile. I can easily say that dirt has put me on my knees more than I want to say. But the beautiful part about falling on your knees is getting back up. And that’s the main point of the bony knees reference. You have to get up in life and move on. We have all been there and we will all be there again. When I write bony knees in a song it reminds me of how I put all of the bullshit behind me and moved on. And that is bony knees.
I just wanted to clear this all up. I don’t want anyone to ever think that we are using this as some sort of gimmick or something. We keep things real and it will always be that way. I hope you can all now find deeper meaning and connection with sleepy eyes and bony knees.
Empty Picture Frames
Real Friends Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My patience isn't running thin
Autumn never ends in my head
No matter how far I've been
It feels like everybody is the branch
And I'm the leaves falling from the top
Of every leafless tree
That no one will ever get the chance to see
A kitchen table with one chair
Walls with empty picture frames
No one will ever see
No one will ever see
All I see is the past two years before I hit the ground
Time is moving slower on the way down
Save yourself
Don't stand wondering what's going through my mind
Let me go before you see me following behind
I'll save you from myself
Just let me go
I'll save you from myself
The home inside my head has a bed for me
That no one will ever get the chance to see
A kitchen table with one chair
Walls with empty picture frames
No one will ever see
No one will ever see
I've learned that it's okay to be selfish
It keeps me from falling apart at the seams
Stuck is where I feel in place
A feeling I'll embrace
The home inside my head has a bed for me
That no one will ever get the chance to see
A kitchen table with one chair
Walls with empty picture frames
No one will ever see
No one will ever see
The lyrics of Real Friends's song "Empty Picture Frames" delve into themes of isolation, introspection, and the struggles of mental health.
The opening lines, "I'm getting pretty good at leaving, My patience isn't running thin," suggest that the singer has become accustomed to detaching themselves from people and situations. They have learned to distance themselves emotionally to protect their own well-being. The mention of autumn and how it never ends in their head signifies a perpetual state of change and transition in their mind, despite their physical location. They feel like they are constantly falling, an outcast among others.
The following lines, "The home inside my head has a bed for me, That no one will ever get the chance to see," speaks to the hidden depths of the singer's thoughts and emotions. They have created a solitary sanctuary within themselves that nobody else has access to. The mention of a kitchen table with one chair and walls with empty picture frames emphasizes their loneliness and the lack of meaningful connections. Their inner world is filled with unfulfilled potential represented by the empty picture frames, which nobody will ever witness.
The chorus, "All I see is the past two years before I hit the ground, Time is moving slower on the way down, Save yourself, Don't stand wondering what's going through my mind, Let me go before you see me following behind," portrays the singer's struggle with their internal demons. They are caught in a cycle of reflecting on the past and feel like time is moving slowly as they descend further into their struggles. They plea for others to save themselves from the burden of understanding their complex thoughts and emotions, urging them to let go before they witness their eventual decline.
The final verse, "I've learned that it's okay to be selfish, It keeps me from falling apart at the seams, Stuck is where I feel in place, A feeling I'll embrace," shows a sense of acceptance in the singer's state of mind. They have come to terms with the necessity of prioritizing their own well-being, even if it means being selfish. They believe that by doing so, they can prevent themselves from completely unraveling. The lyrical choice of "stuck" indicates that they may feel trapped or stagnant in their current state, but they have learned to find comfort in it.
Overall, "Empty Picture Frames" conveys the struggles of isolation, the desire for detachment, and the importance of self-preservation in the face of mental health challenges. The lyrics encapsulate the introspective journey and emotional complexities experienced by someone who feels disconnected from the world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm getting pretty good at leaving
I have become skilled at distancing myself from others
My patience isn't running thin
I have a strong level of tolerance and understanding
Autumn never ends in my head
My mind is constantly stuck in a state of melancholy
No matter how far I've been
Regardless of where I go or what I do
It feels like everybody is the branch
I perceive others as stable and secure
And I'm the leaves falling from the top
While I am constantly drifting and detached
Of every leafless tree
Within a desolate and lonely environment
The home inside my head has a bed for me
My internal world provides a solitary refuge
That no one will ever get the chance to see
This personal space remains concealed from others
A kitchen table with one chair
Representing isolation and solitude
Walls with empty picture frames
Symbolizing a lack of meaningful connections and experiences
No one will ever see
These hidden aspects of my life will remain unseen by others
All I see is the past two years before I hit the ground
My mind is consumed by memories and reflections of the recent past
Time is moving slower on the way down
As I descend into my thoughts, time seems to pass more slowly
Save yourself
I urge others to prioritize their own well-being
Don't stand wondering what's going through my mind
Avoid attempting to decipher my inner thoughts and struggles
Let me go before you see me following behind
Allow me to depart before you witness my emotional instability
I'll save you from myself
I intend to protect others from the negative impact of my presence
Just let me go
Allow me to detach myself from any attachments or relationships
I've learned that it's okay to be selfish
I have come to understand the importance of self-preservation
It keeps me from falling apart at the seams
Being self-centered helps me maintain my stability and sanity
Stuck is where I feel in place
I find comfort in being trapped or stagnant
A feeling I'll embrace
I fully accept and embrace this sensation
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: DANIEL LAMBTON, DAVID KNOX, KYLE FASEL, MICHAEL JOSEPH GREEN, ERIC HAYNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Serena Landeros
I'm getting pretty good at leaving
My patience isn't running thin
Autumn never ends in my head
No matter how far I've been
It feels like everybody is the branch
And I'm the leaves falling from the top
Of every leafless tree
The home inside my head has a bed for me
That no one will ever get the chance to see
A kitchen table with one chair
Walls with empty picture frames
No one will ever see
No one will ever see
All I see is the past two years before I hit the ground
Time is moving slower on the way down
Save yourself
Don't stand wondering what's going through my mind
Let me go before you see me following behind
I'll save you from myself
Just let me go
I'll save you from myself
The home inside my head has a bed for me
That no one will ever get the chance to see
A kitchen table with one chair
Walls with empty picture frames
No one will ever see
No one will ever see
I've learned that it's okay to be selfish
It keeps me from falling apart at the seams
Stuck is where I feel in place
A feeling I'll embrace
The home inside my head has a bed for me
That no one will ever get the chance to see
A kitchen table with one chair
Walls with empty picture frames
No one will ever see
No one will ever see
Ben Rowen
Coming from someone who feels like they are stuck not doing what they love... This is truly beautiful and inspiring.
problematty
same, this hit me hard
ByronicWings
Ben Rowen same position here!
Essuez
I'm starting to feel this way, indeed beautiful.
Grace Goff
A fantastic video, which is fitting for such a great song. Great work as always (:
good night moon
REAL FRIENDS IS ONE OF THE BEST POP PUNK
Goonzzz
good night moon I still get excited when I see someone repping turnover
good night moon
Ruben Cruz turnover for life
Alyssa Hayes
good night moon YESS
Kyle -
More like Emo Pop Real Pop Punk died 10 years ago