Maybe This Place Is the Same and We're Just Changing

Maybe This Place Is the Same and We're Just Changing is the debut studio album by American rock band Real Friends. The album was recorded in February 2014 with Seth Henderson at Always Be Genius Recording Studio. It was released through Fearless on July 22. The album charted at number 24 in the U.S. It also charted in the top 20 on several Billboard charts.

Maybe This Place Is the Same and We're Just Changing
Studio album by
Real Friends
ReleasedJuly 22, 2014
RecordedFebruary 1–18, 2014,
Always Be Genius Recording Studio,
Crown Point, Indiana
Genre
Length32:33
LabelFearless
Real Friends chronology
Put Yourself Back Together
(2013)		 Maybe This Place Is the Same and We're Just Changing
(2014)		 More Acoustic Songs
(2015)
Singles from Maybe This Place Is the Same and We're Just Changing
  1. "Loose Ends"
    Released: May 20, 2014
  2. "Sixteen"
    Released: June 10, 2014
  3. "I Don't Love You Anymore"
    Released: July 1, 2014

Background

In the fall of 2010 bassist Kyle Fasel "wasn't happy" with the music he was working on and wished to start over.[4] Fasel called guitarist Dave Knox and the pair soon started talking about the goals they wished to achieve.[4] Fasel didn't expect it to lead anywhere.[4] Vocalist Dan Lambton, who was friends with Knox, received a call from Fasel, asking if he would like to join him and Knox.[4] They were soon joined by drummer Aaron Schuck.[5] The group soon realized that it "didn't feel right [playing the songs they currently had]. [...] almost forc[ing] ourselves into [a] sound."[4] They had a meeting and came to the conclusion to start over.[4] During this period of change, Fasel and Knox were playing in The Fastest Kid Alive.[6] Shortly afterwards, Schuck was replaced by Brian Blake.[5] Blake had emailed the band after he found out they needed a drummer.[4]

Real Friends didn't have a permanent second guitarist, often having their friends to substitute.[4] Eric Haines soon joined as an additional guitarist.[5] Until Haines joined Fasel and Knox would typically write the songs and they didn't have "another guitar[ist's] opinion", according to Fasel.[4] With this new line-up the group released a few EPs.[5] One of these was Everyone That Dragged You Here (2012). Shortly after the release of the EP, the band's popularity increased and the audience at their shows also increased.[4] Another EP was Put Yourself Back Together (2013).[7] 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".[8] Fearless signed the band in December 2013.[9] The band were initially hesitant to sign a label but called Fearless "different. They made it feel more like a family."[10] The group "still wanted full control of our band" while Fearless would help with marketing and distribution, according to Fasel.[11]

Composition and recording
The way that we wrote the album was the same as [previous releases] but we definitely had different motives. We wanted to grow in our sound and we wanted to have[...] a more mature sound. [...] We wanted to achieve a little more dynamic in our music and a little bit more variety in general.[12]

– Kyle Fasel, about the way the band composed material for the album, 2014

Previously the band's fans have been constantly asking them when their debut album was coming out, but Fasel maintained the group "weren't ready" to do an album.[13] Fasel hoped that the band could "deliver something that everyone can connect to".[13] At this point, none of the band members listened to pop punk, unlike when the band started.[12] Fasel listened to emo music while other members listened to "heavier stuff and hardcore."[12] Whenever the group wrote a new song they would compare it to a past song, such as "Late Nights in My Car".[12] The band felt under pressure while writing for the album but felt "happier and happier" as time progressed.[12]

Fasel claimed the band "incorporated a lot more like, “emo” aspects and sometimes more “aggressive” aspects and sometimes “slower” aspects."[14] As a result, Fasel was "a lot more nervous" what the reaction to this experimentation was going to be.[14] All of the album's lyrics were written by Fasel.[15] Originally, Fasel had kept the lyrics on his phone, which more than half of was accidentally deleted.[16] The longer Fasel "thought about it I was just really glad that happened".[16] On January 20, 2014 the band announced they had finished writing material for their debut album.[17]

On February 1, the band started recording at Always Be Genius Recording Studio,[18] located at Crown Point, Indiana,[12] with Seth Henderson[15] and on February 18, the band finished recording.[19][nb 1] Lambton recorded his vocals at the very end of the recording process due to respiratory illnesses.[16] Joe Taylor of Knuckle Puck has guest vocals on "Cover You Up", while Chris Roetter of Like Moths to Flames has guest vocals on "Loose Ends".[15] The album was mixed by Sean O' Keefe, with assistance from Rob Drauden[15] in Chicago.[12]

Release

In March and April 2014, the group supported The Wonder Years on their North American headlining tour.[22] On May 1, Real Friends announced their debut album, Maybe This Place Is the Same and We're Just Changing.[23] The title is about change that is experienced when one leaves and returns home.[11] Fasel said the group were "beyond excited" to unveil the album to their fans.[23] Lambton said it's down to the listener "what this album means to you. [...] we took a lot of time putting together an album that we believe is a solid and progressive effort, and i hope that shines through".[23] Following this, the band went on a tour of the UK and Europe in May alongside Modern Baseball and You Blew It!.[24] On May 7, a music video was released for "Loose Ends", it features Chris Roetter of Like Moths to Flames.[25] It was also released as a free download.[26] The song was released as a single on May 20.[27] The music video was filmed by Jered Scott of Several Guys and edited by Ken Wilcox of Twisted Iris.[28] "Sixteen" was released as a single on June 10.[29] The song was also made available for streaming and a lyric video was released the same day.[30] The band played on the 2014 edition of Warped Tour.[31] "I Don't Love You Anymore" was made available for streaming on June 30 via The A.V. Club[32] and released as a single on July 1.[33] A music video was released for the song on July 16, it was directed by Eric Teti.[34]

Maybe This Place Is the Same and We're Just Changing was planned to be released prior to Warped Tour so that band could play the newer songs.[14] Instead, the album was released on July 22 through Fearless.[35][nb 2] The album artwork and layout was done by Gary Weissmann at Creation Factory,[nb 3] while Mitchell Wojcik contributed art direction and photography.[15] A day later, the album was made available for streaming. [37] In October and November, the band toured across the U.S. with Neck Deep, Cruel Hand and Have Mercy.[38] The band were excited for this tour as they were able to play more songs off the album but also the way the tour showcases multiple genres.[39] The group played a holiday show on December 27 at The Metro in Chicago.[11] On January 13, 2015 a music video was released for "Summer",[40] which was directed by Max Moore.[41] In March, the band supported All Time Low in Europe, while in between those dates played a few headlining shows.[42] In April and May, the band supported The Maine on The American Candy tour.[43] On July 7, the band released the music video for "Sixteen".[44] It was directed by Moore and was filmed at a bowling alley.[44] The video tells the story of a teenager who celebrates his birthday without any guests.[45] The band supported Every Time I Die on the Common Vision tour in July and August.[46] In October and November, the group supported Mayday Parade on the 2015 Alternative Press Tour.[47]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicFavorable[48]
AbsolutePunk[1]
Alternative Press[49]
Punknews.org[2]
Rock Sound8/10[50]

Prior to release, the album was included on Alternative Press's "Most Anticipated Albums in 2014" list[51] and Fuse's "25 Most Anticipated 2014 Summer Albums" list.[52] Maybe This Place Is the Same and We're Just Changing was a critical[44] and commercial success.[5] The album sold over 10,300 copies in its first week,[53] charting at number 24 on the Billboard 200.[54] The album was nominated for "Album of the Year" at the Alternative Press Music Awards,[45] as well as "I Don't Love You Anymore" for "Best Song" and Fasel for "Best Bassist".[55] "I Don't Love You Anymore" was included on Idobi Radio's "Top 40 of 2014" list.[56] "Loose Ends" was included on Alternative Press' "The 18 best sing along moments of 2014" list.[57] The album was included at number 10 on Rock Sound's "Top 50 Albums of the Year" list.[58]

Reviewing the album for Rock Sound, Andy Biddulph noted that Lambton's vocals "capture what is to hurt, recover and then hurt again" on top of "some of the most relatable, original pop-punk this side of the millennium.[50] Biddulph mentioned the album was full of "tasteful ballads and radio-read pop-punk".[50]

Track listing

All songs written by Real Friends. All lyrics written by Kyle Fasel.[15]

  1. "Maybe This Place Is the Same..." – 1:04
  2. "I Don't Love You Anymore" – 3:25
  3. "Cover You Up" – 2:51
  4. "Old Book" – 1:36
  5. "Summer" – 3:21
  6. "Loose Ends" – 3:03
  7. "Short Song" – 1:38
  8. "Sixteen" – 2:19
  9. "Spread Me All Over Illinois" – 3:13
  10. "To: My Old Self" – 3:19
  11. "I Think I'm Moving Forward" – 2:45
  12. "...And We're Just Changing" – 3:52

Personnel

Personnel per booklet.[15]

Chart positions
Chart (2014) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard 200[54] 24
U.S. Billboard Alternative Albums[59] 5
U.S. Billboard Independent Albums[60] 3
U.S. Billboard Top Rock Albums[61] 6
U.S. Billboard Vinyl Albums[62] 3

References
Footnotes
  1. Hednerson had previously worked with the band, recording their This Is Honesty (2011)[20] and Everyone That Dragged You Here (2012) EPs.[21]
  2. U.S. Fearless 301972[36]
  3. Gary Weissmann has been doing design work for the band since their inception.[4]
Citations
  1. Solomon, Blake (July 22, 2014). "Maybe This Place Is the Same and We're Just Changing - Real Friends | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  2. RENALDO69 (December 14, 2014). "Real Friends". punknews.org. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-07-19. Retrieved 2015-07-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. Real Friends (2013). Never Growing Up, Never Giving Up (Documentary). Real Friends. Event occurs at 0:41–1:22 for early beginnings; 1:42–2:08 for Lambton joining; 2:25–43 for early sound; 2:49–3:14 for Brian Blake; 3:49–4:11 for live guitarists and Eric Haines; 6:07–7:06 for popularity increase following Everyone That Dragged You Here; 10:46–57 for Gary Weissmann. Archived from the original on 2016-03-10.
  5. Lymangrover, Jason. "Real Friends - Biography - AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  6. Prokop, Jennifer (October 3, 2011). "TFKA strives for new musical direction". thelewisflyer.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2015. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  7. DiVincenzo, Alex (May 2, 2013). "Real Friends to Release New EP Next Month". AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  8. Biddulph, Andy (June 23, 2013). "Real Friends - Put Yourself Back Together". Rock Sound Magazine. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  9. Crane, Matt (December 17, 2013). "Real Friends sign to Fearless Records". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  10. Grace, Eleanor (December 17, 2013). "Real Friends sign to Fearless Records". idobi.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  11. Hudelson, Molly (November 26, 2014). "'An album is your identity': Interview with Real Friends' Kyle Fasel". AXS. Archived from the original on July 19, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  12. Karpowicz, Katie (July 25, 2014). "INTERVIEW: Talking Pop-Punk Shop With Real Friends". Chicagoist. Archived from the original on July 19, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  13. Fearless Records (December 18, 2013). Real Friends Sign To Fearless Records. YouTube. Archived from the original on March 18, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
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  15. Maybe This Place Is the Same and We're Just Changing (booklet). Real Friends. Fearless Records. 2014. FRL301972.CS1 maint: others (link)
  16. Biddulph 2014 (189), p. 75
  17. Bird, Michele (January 20, 2014). "Real Friends finish writing new album". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  18. Kraus, Brian (February 1, 2014). "Real Friends enter the studio for new album". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on June 9, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  19. Crane, Matt (February 18, 2014). "Real Friends finish recording debut album". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on June 9, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  20. This Is Honesty (Sleeve). Real Friends. Self-released. 2011. none.CS1 maint: others (link)
  21. Everyone That Dragged You Here (Sleeve). Real Friends. Self-released. 2012. none.CS1 maint: others (link)
  22. Horansky, TJ (December 10, 2013). "The Wonder Years announce North American tour with Defeater, Citizen, Real Friends, Modern Baseball". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. Archived from the original on August 14, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
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  25. DiVincenzo, Alex (May 7, 2014). "Real Friends Release New Song "Loose Ends"". AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  26. Wippsson, Johan (May 8, 2014). "Melodic Net - Real Friends Premiere New Song Loose Ends". melodic.net. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  27. "iTunes - Music - Loose Ends - Single by Real Friends". iTunes. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  28. Fearless Records (May 7, 2014). Real Friends - "Loose Ends". YouTube. Archived from the original on February 13, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  29. "Sixteen". 7digital. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  30. Gardner, Ryan (June 10, 2014). "Stream New Real Friends Song "Sixteen"". AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  31. Crane, Matt (February 5, 2014). "Motionless In White, The Word Alive, Real Friends, more announced for Warped Tour 2014". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  32. Eakin, Marah (June 30, 2014). "Pop-punk act Real Friends "don't love you anymore"". avclub.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  33. "Loose Ends (2014) | Real Friends". 7digital. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  34. Nassiff, Thomas (July 16, 2014). "Premiere: Real Friends' "I Don't Love You Anymore" Video is Full of Emo Animals". Fuse. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  35. Nassiff, Thomas (May 1, 2014). "Real Friends Announce Debut LP 'Maybe This Place Is The Same And Were Just Changing'". AbsolutePunk.net. Archived from the original on June 2, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  36. Thomas, Fred. "Maybe This Place Is the Same and We're Just Changing - Real Friends - Release Information, Reviews and Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  37. Kraus, Brian (July 23, 2014). "Real Friends stream debut album, 'Maybe This Place Is The Same And We're Just Changing'". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  38. Nassiff, Thomas (August 4, 2014). "Real Friends / Neck Deep / Cruel Hand / Have Mercy Fall Tour Dates". AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  39. Wippsson, Johan (August 5, 2014). "Melodic Net - Real Friends Announces Headline Tour". melodic.net. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  40. Emily (January 13, 2015). "Real Friends Debut New Video For Summer". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on July 26, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
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  43. Ilvonen, Keagan (January 6, 2015). "The Maine Announce 'The American Candy' Tour". AbsolutePunk.net. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  44. Weiner, Natalie (July 7, 2015). "Real Friends Turns 'Sixteen' in New, Nostalgic Video: Exclusive Premiere". Billboard. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  45. Leak, Brian (July 7, 2015). "Real Friends attend depressing birthday party in new video for "Sixteen" - Alternative Press". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on July 9, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  46. Adams, Gregory (May 26, 2015). "Every Time I Die Join Real Friends, Counterparts for "Common Vision Tour"". exclaim.ca. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  47. AltPress (July 22, 2015). "Mayday Parade, Real Friends, This Wild Life, As It Is announced for AP Tour". Alternative Press. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
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  49. Moseley, Brittany (July 21, 2014). "Real Friends - Maybe This Place Is The Same And We're Just Changing". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on July 25, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2014.
  50. Biddulph 2014 (190), p. 86
  51. Wippsson, Johan (June 11, 2014). "Melodic Net - Real Friends Premiere New Song Sixteen". melodic.net. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
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  56. Vogel, Matt (January 2, 2015). "idobi Radio Top 40 of 2014". idobi.com. Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
  57. Whitt, Cassie (December 24, 2014). "The 18 best sing along moments of 2014". Alternative Press. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  58. Bird, ed. 2015, p. 28
  59. "Real Friends - Chart history (Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  60. "Real Friends - Chart history (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  61. "Real Friends - Chart history (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  62. "Vinyl Albums : August 9, 2014". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 4, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
Sources
  • Biddulph, Andy (August 2014). Bird, Ryan (ed.). "Bros Before Woes". Rock Sound. London: Freeway Press Inc. (189). ISSN 1465-0185.
  • Biddulph, Andy (Summer 2014). Bird, Ryan (ed.). "Reviews". Rock Sound. London: Freeway Press Inc. (190). ISSN 1465-0185.
  • Bird, Ryan, ed. (January 2015). "Top 50 Albums of the Year". Rock Sound. London: Freeway Press Inc. (195). ISSN 1465-0185.
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