Real Friends Return With Heartfelt “Waiting Room” Single

Chicago pop punk mainstays Real Friends have returned with their powerful new single, Waiting Room. The song is both familiar ground and a next step for the band, with distinctive emotional lyrics paired with a deeper level of authenticity and vulnerability. Real Friends couple those elements alongside a heightened level of songwriting and production that finds the band exploring new territories in their growth, the song’s intimate subject matter centers around the passing of bassist and lyricist Kyle Fasel‘s father. Waiting Room marks the first single off the forthcoming album slated for a Fall 2024 and Real Friends will be appearing at the touring Sad Summer Fest along with a handful of headlining clubs shows

The new single’s music video rounds out the creative vision of the song under the direction of Errick Easterday and Michael Herrick. The live energy in the performance shots of the band are enhanced by the visual aesthetic, particularly seen in the coloring and other elements. The video itself plays on the true themes of the song, using both literal and metaphorical references to encapsulate the emotional weight behind the meaning. The band’s upcoming album, that is set for release this Fall, will be Real Friend‘s first full length since 2018, following up on the release of 2022’s There’s Nothing Worse Than Too Late EP.

“The lyrics, without a doubt, are the most personal and vulnerable I’ve ever written. It’s about my dad dying in a hospital bed in front of my eyes and the aftermath that still casts a shadow over me today. It is by far the most important song Real Friends has ever written.” (Kyle Fasel)