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Real Friends’ new EP Put Yourself Back Together comes out today. The Chicago band delivers seven heartfelt pop-punk songs that have already received high praise. You can stream the entire EP on the band’s youtube page http://www.youtube.com/user/realfriendsband?feature=watch
GroundSounds caught up with RF’s Kyle Fasel to discuss the EP, upcoming touring plans, and his thoughts on the “pop-punk” genre.
GS: How did you meet and form the band?
RF: We all played in different bands around the Chicago area and knew each other from that. We were all sick of our musical projects and decided to try something new out. That something new turned into Real Friends.
You’ll be out on tour all of June and July, including the Warped Tour. Is this your first time playing Warped? What are you most looking forward to about it?
This is our first time playing Warped Tour, yes. It will be a blast. I am really looking forward to the amount of kids that we will be exposed to everyday. Warped Tour is a great tool for a band because of the amount of people that are there to discover your music. I think it also just has a great vibe even though you are melting in the summer heat.
Your new EP Put Yourself Back Together comes out today. What was the inspiration for these songs and how long did this EP take you?
The inspiration for these songs really derived from early twenty’s heartbreak, not wanting to grow up, progressing, and just struggles. The EP musically took us about three months to write. We were getting together six nights a week and all working full time jobs. It was stressful, but I think the stress almost played a good role in the writing. It made us really strap down and get to work. Lyrically the EP took well over a year to write. I am always writing and changing lyrics, so it’s kind of an ever going process.
There is great energy and passion throughout the EP, especially in the song “Skin Deep.” What is the story behind that song?
That song is about not being honest about how you feel with someone until it’s too late, or they are gone.
You just finished up a nationwide tour with Senses Fail. How was that experience for you and what, if anything, did you learn from touring with them?
That was an amazing experience. I grew up listening to Senses Fail, so I never ever ever thought I would tour with them. It was a big milestone for me in my musical journey. The other bands Such Gold and Major League were beyond amazing tour with as well. And we really learned on that tour how to sleep in a van more than someone’s house haha.
If you could headline your dream tour and could take three bands with you, who would you choose?
The Starting Line, Jimmy Eat World, and Creed
I have to ask you, since there are several references in the EP, how did the “sleepy eyes and bony knees” reference come into your lyrics?
It was really just something I put into a few songs. The “sleepy eyes and bony knees” thing just fit the vibe of the songs. And then all of a sudden it was like kids were recognizing us from those two things. I think that’s really cool to have that connection without even mentioning our band name. There is also deep meaning behind both of those things. Sleepy Eyes refers to being overwhelmed with hardships and being overworked in life. I ran into a period of my life where I had sleepy eyes all of the time because I couldn’t sleep at night. I had so much stuff running through my head, that I couldn’t sleep if I wanted to. I even had to resort to sleeping pills to fall asleep at times. We can all relate to having so much stuff run through our head at night that we can’t sleep. That is sleepy eyes.
Bony Knees refers to obviously my bony knees. I’m a skinny dude and it was something that stuck out to some people I know. I went through depression in 2011 and decided to put the term “bony knees” in our song “Floorboards.” It represents getting off of your knees and standing on your own two feet in a mental way. I’m sure we can all relate to being down and out. This is what this refers to.
The “pop-punk” genre in general seems like it is consistently criticized because bands aren’t trying to push the envelope or expand the sound. How do you feel about the current state of “pop-punk?” Is that something you take into account when writing songs? Or do you just write what comes naturally and not worry about what others may think of the genre?
I think Pop Punk is a really cool movement right now. I think a lot of people just need to not listen to a band if they don’t like them or think they are “not pushing the envelope.” It’s that simple. I think there are a lot of great bands out there in this scene. Even if you don’t think a band is as good as the one next to them, just know that it takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice to be in a band. So I have an appreciation for it on that level. And when we write, we just write what comes to us. I personally don’t keep up with a lot of the current pop punk stuff so we dig a lot of influence from stuff we grew up on, like The Starting Line, Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, Bayside.
What is one fun fact or interesting fact about Real Friends that no one knows?
Danny likes Nintendo.
Where can readers check you out online?
www.facebook.com/
@realfriendsband
Real Friends – “Skin Deep”
