Chicago pop-punk/emo band Real Friends unveiled a special acoustic version of “Waiting Room,” one of the first singles from their most recent album, Blue Hour.
The track, which was originally released last summer, is an incredibly personal and moving piece about the passing of bassist Kyle Fasel’s father. Since its release, the band has watched fans all over the world connect with the song and process their own grief in ways they could have never imagined when writing it. Real Friends took to Instagram on June 10th to share,
“One of the most beautiful things about a song is how it takes on a life of its own once it’s out in the world. Growing into something so much bigger than where it began. ‘Waiting Room’ started as a song about the passing of Kyle’s father, but over the past year, it’s become something more. It’s also a song about your family, your pet, your loved one, your best friend… your grief.”
The release of this new version of “Waiting Room” is accompanied by a touching music video, which features the band playing acoustically in a hospital waiting room.
Blue Hour, which was released last October, is the fourth studio album from Real Friends and the first they’ve released fully independently since the beginning of their career. They offered their gratitude for those who have connected with the song and helped spread the word over the last year, with the post continuing,
“We’re so thankful that this song has found its way to you and even more thankful that you’ve allowed it to become more than just a song. Your stories have moved and inspired us.”
Real Friends will be hitting the road on their first-ever Southeast Asia tour as well as supporting Silverstein in Australia this August. Tickets and information for these upcoming shows can be found here.
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