Real Friends are an American pop punk band from Tinley Park, Illinois. The … Read Full Bio ↴Real Friends are an American pop punk band from Tinley Park, Illinois. The band is currently made up of: Dave Knox (lead guitar, backing vocals), Kyle Fasel (bass), Eric Haines (rhythm guitar), Brian Blake (drums), and Cody Muraro (lead vocals), who was announced as replacement for longtime vocalist Dan Lambton on June 21, 2021. The band announced they signed to Pure Noise Records and released 2 new singles - Nervous Wreck and Storyteller - along with the announcement of their new singer.
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.
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.”
========================
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.
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Lost Boy
Real Friends Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Lost Boy' by these artists:
5 seconds of summer I can't remember the last time I saw your face I…
5 s o s You've held us down too long with your idealistic lives. The…
5 Seconds of Summer I can't remember the last time I saw your face I…
5 Seconds of Summer - RiskyJaTT.CoM I can't remember the last time I saw your face I…
Alex Järvi Skulle du ha stannat kvar Om du visste vem jag var? Allt…
Álvaro Rubio Deeper and deeper I go into the fog Farther into the…
Anyway Gang All my life I had a dirty little secret And all…
Bass Sultan Hengzt (Simes got that secret sauce) Represent Jeeps, Bentley, Bea…
Be Forest I want to know if you can change your life…
Bikini Trill Stay with me longer Times moving fast Don't want to grow up…
Bourbon Bach It's been 17 hours since I boarded that flight Landed god…
Brady James A lot of people telling me I'm doing well Well, that…
Chandler Stephens There was a time when I was alone No where to…
Clayton James Official There was a time when I was alone Nowhere to go…
Crisaunt Losin′ my mind as the days go by I dont know…
Dippers My mum thinks she really knows me My drugs help me…
DMQ I am a lost boy from Neverland (Luke come on)…
Double O Smoove Lacoste boy (Yeah this shit bout to go up) I got…
GF93 Let down, I hate that days you are sick of…
Grace Kelly I remember how it feels Lying in your tattooed arm Everythin…
Greg I left my home still as a child I walked a…
guardin feat. st. silver For its hollow in this place And you're staring into space H…
Gunpoint Alibi Take all your pretty pictures Off their perfect shelves Take…
Hollow Front feat. Hunter Courtright of Sleep Waker I gave you everything And you threw it all away As if…
In/Planes Well I swear I was, born to lose Ever since the…
Jaden (Uhm, yeah) I was a lost boy I was a lost boy…
Jaden Smith (Uhm, yeah) I was a lost boy I was a lost boy…
Jennifer Chung Peter likes to fly all through the night. He holds my…
Jerry Owens The air is cold now It's time that we settle down Remember…
Jess-O-Lantern Lacoste boy (Yeah this shit bout to go up) I got…
Juana There was a time when I was alone No where to…
Kaidan Restaurant - SEAMO 怖くはないはずなのに 震えている 光る未来を 抱き締めてくれ Lost Boy 何の為に生きてる? それを考える為に生…
KIDZ BOP Kids There was a time when I was alone Nowhere to go…
Knola Ever since the Black Beach I have been searching for…
Lana Love I don't fuck with lost boys In and out of money Searching…
Lil Cogar There was a time when I was alone Nowhere to go…
Loyal Cover There was a time when I was alone No where to…
Marcello's Mystical Mind Do i really have to take this? It's all…
Midnight i'm not sure what time it is i'm not sure exactly…
Miracle Uhh, Vibe with me, look This is my story, this is…
Rebecca Lou bleach my heart again run the chlorine throug my veins make …
Red Arrow There was a time when I was alone Nowhere to go…
Relient K You had it baby you were seventeen years old I was…
Roger Waters & Eddie Van Halen Come, hold me now, I am not gone I would not…
Ruth B [Intro] There wa…
Ruth B. [FazMusic.Net] There was a time when I was alone Nowhere to go…
Save The Lost Boys She said I’m just a boy who’ll never change Who got…
SEAMO 何の為に生きてる? それを考える為に生きてる 食べる為? 金稼ぐため? それとも愛する人守る為? which? 何だって…
Sivan Troye As the smile fell from your face, I fell with…
Taproot Sitting in motion the notion of pulling away Setting emotio…
The Deep Blue Silver in the moon and silver in the bus stop…
The Longshot It happened again No sleep for the restless My bed…
The Lost Boys Can't lift the weight Can't lift the weight I can't lift the…
The Midnight We were the monsters and fire-breathers We were the quiet su…
Total Chaos I'm a lost boy who dropped outta school No way -…
Troye Sivan As the smile fell from your face, I fell with…
TTRRUUCES It's a big bad world for a boy like you Oh,…
Vegastar Encore un réveil embrumé Une journée qui s'est envolée Ma …
Veronica Jax There was a time when I was alone Nowhere to go…
Zoume (Sick of every single one of you None of you could…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Real Friends:
...And We're Just Changing When I heard my parents cry I realized that we're all…
A Little Too Nice I can never keep my mouth shut But I can sure…
Alexander Supertramp Growing up is giving up I'll sleep sideways on the bed…
Always Lose Feels like I'm crossing a line when I'm crossing my…
Anchor Down I don't really think that I'm ready for another Chicago…
Basement Stairs I still see us sitting on that old couch 'Til the…
Cheap Talk and Eager Lies If my name falls past your tongue and teeth, make…
Colder Quicker I've got more complaints More than pleasantries to say Eve…
Composure Losing balance as I weigh out my options It's an everyday…
Cover You Up It's worth those nights where I'm scared to walk to…
Dirty Water If you wore your personality on your skin, no one…
Door Without A Key The tears run down your cheekbones I feel sorry for you But…
Eastwick Is there any chance you could cut me some slack? Because…
Empty Picture Frames I'm getting pretty good at leaving My patience isn't running…
Everything I Never Want To Be Hope you're having fun away at college since you went…
Floorboards You said I didn't cry out to the clouds for…
From The Outside Swallowing a feeling Counting cracks across the ceiling Neve…
Get By I've been dodging the question for too long I see you…
Hear What You Want You only hear what you want You only hear what you…
Home for Fall So much has changed back home since you left without…
I When I get stopped by a train on my drive…
I Don I can't believe you've got the nerve to say you…
I Don't Have to Do That Anymore A ten minute drive with you feels like a fucking…
I Don't Love You Anymore I can't believe you've got the nerve to say you…
I Had a Heart I walk on this frozen lake, Hoping to hit a spot…
I Think I When I get stopped by a train on my drive…
I'm Not Ready I'm not ready I'm not ready I'm all alone with racing thoug…
I've Given Up on You You used to make me feel like I could walk…
I've Never Been Home White knuckles and sleepy eyes That's how you and I grew…
Isolating Everything We rush through our lives Just to feel some kind of…
Keep It Together You'll spend every Saturday night on the bathroom floor with…
Keep Lying To Me Could you stay here 'til I fall asleep? We'll pretend that…
Late Nights In My Car I've been up spending every late night in my car Listening…
Loose Ends As the night goes on I go from feeling out…
Maybe This Place Is the Same. Maybe this place is the same And we're just changing Maybe t…
Me First I'm at best your second option Like a key under the…
Mess The patience I once had is running away with my…
Mokena Staring out the window in my bedroom makes me think…
Nervous Wreck Drew the blinds on the sunlight pouring in Locked the door…
Old and All Alone When we grow up I hope that you end up…
Old Book I'm treated like an old book That was left on the…
ripcord Time revealed what's underneath your skin You only cared whe…
Scared To Be Alone I care too much While you don't even care at all It's…
Short Song I found myself in late night drives without a destination Al…
Six Feet I don't wanna have to be six feet underground to…
Sixteen Just when I think I need someone They wrap their arms…
Skeletons I won't forget when I couldn't go to bed with…
Skin Deep This time around I wasn′t honest enough with how I…
Smiling On The Surface Am I telling myself the truth? I'm used to pretending to…
Something's Keeping Me Here We're just kids stuck in this town Outside of a big…
Spread Me All Over Illinois Change holds me down to the places I don't want…
Stand Steady Softspoken, if ever out loud These days not much gets out My…
Stay In One Place So much for bad luck If I built a boat with…
Storyteller 212 degrees rushing forcefully Through my veins and arteries…
Strangers Two bodies in a bed torn in two Knowing damn well…
Summer You were easy on my eyes You were heavy on my…
Take A Hint I listen back to the confines I set within myself The…
Teeth These last two years were the worst years of my…
Tell Me You're Sorry I'll leave it up to you To let me down…
The Damage is Done I'm tired of waking up With all your brokenness around me Fe…
To My Old Self I spend my nights thinking the worst And telling myself tha…
To%3A My Old Self I spend my nights thinking the worst And telling myself that…
Unconditional Love Unconditional love and a lack of patience Is what you gave…
Well I'm Sorry I can't fix everything around me I can't make everybody happ…
The lyrics are frequently found in the comments by searching or by filtering for lyric videos
Darian Darko
i don't think ill ever not listen to this song 50 times a day
Redding Shelby
How's that going?
Danielle Navarro
Just found you guys and i am questioning where y'all have been all my life?! I absolutely love your music!
Nyssa Morgan
their songs always just speak to me like they write them for me it's so cool I love these guys so much
Reese Iree
this band gives me the chills bc they're so amazing
Troy Waldram
Knew this song would be the best song off this album when I first heard it live. So perfect!
Brittani Spears
This entire goddamn album personifies my life.
Jules Zotta
Oh my god.. Im seriously like, smiling because of this song. This band is amazing ;~;
Ashton
I’m in love with this band, so far
emily brooks
Growing up in Chicago where these guys came from, I can definitely relate to the line “if I had a backyard”.