Real Friends

Real Friends

Real Friends are a pop punk band from Tinley Park, Illinois, formed in 2010. The group begins with bassist Kyle Fasel and lead guitarist Dave Knox, who start discussing the kind of band they want to make, and is soon joined by vocalist Dan Lambton and drummer Aaron Schuck. After recording the debut EP This Is Honesty in 2011 and touring the Midwest, the band decides to start again and later adds drummer Brian Blake and rhythm guitarist Eric Haines. They remain active from that point onward, with the line-up later centred on Dave Knox, Kyle Fasel, Eric Haines, Brian Blake and vocalist Cody Muraro.

Early releases and development

Real Friends release the EP Everyone That Dragged You Here and then Put Yourself Back Together, both of which help grow their audience. During this period, they support The Wonder Years on UK shows, including the UK Warped Tour. Their writing is shaped by emotional lyrics and a tight blend of pop and punk, with bassist Kyle Fasel citing 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.

Label signings and albums

In December 2013, the band signs to Fearless Records after initially hesitating to join a label. Their debut studio album, Maybe This Place Is the Same and We’re Just Changing, follows in 2014, is recorded with producer Seth Henderson, sells more than 10,300 copies and reaches number 24 on the Billboard 200. Rock Sound names it one of the year’s top 50 albums. The band tours on the 2014 Vans Warped Tour, appearing on the Journey’s Stage.

In 2015, they issue More Acoustic Songs for Record Store Day, including an acoustic version of “Late Nights in My Car” featuring Kevin Jordan of This Wild Life. Their second full-length album, The Home Inside My Head, arrives in 2016 after being recorded on the road. The band also releases the single “Get By” in 2017.

Composure and later work

Real Friends announce Composure in 2018, first playing “From the Outside” before the album’s release. The record receives attention from Music Connection, Alternative Press, Substream Magazine, New Noise and Billboard, which describes it as “raw”. By this point, the band has accumulated more than 100 million streams. The group later signs to Pure Noise Records and releases the singles “Nervous Wreck” and “Storyteller” as it introduces Cody Muraro as its new vocalist, with Muraro having joined in 2020 and replacing Dan Lambton in 2021.

Style

The band is described as pop punk, emo and emo pop punk, with a sound also linked to alternative rock and punk rock. Their songs often focus on personal struggle, relationships and recovery, and the group is known for writing in a direct emotional style.