Grief is universal, but it’s something that everyone copes with differently. In the case of Real Friends bassist and lyricist Kyle Fasel, the loss of his father led him to channel his grief into songwriting and produce a ballad that has helped many fans in just the two weeks that it’s been out.
“Waiting Room” is a beautiful and emotional song that hits deeper every time you listen to it. The imagery in the lyrics is strong and is backed up by the passionate vocals of lead singer Cody Muraro, as well as intense instrumentals from Fasel, Dave Knox (lead guitar), Eric Haines (rhythm guitar), and Brian Blake (drums). Both verses detail vivid depictions of the narrator dealing with the loss of someone special to them and heartbreakingly stating “I had to leave before you left / ‘Cause I was too weak to watch your last breath.”
The most devastating lyric comes from the chorus and is also the hook of the song. Muraro sings, “I thought time healed every wound ‘til I lost you.” It’s something that everyone who has dealt with the loss of an important person in their life can relate to, even if it wasn’t necessarily a death, but a breakup or falling out. It’s easy to say that things will get better with time, but it’s different once it happens to you. The emotional wound may start to heal, but will never fully close and there will always be a reminder of it.
As the band posted about the song on Instagram, the comment sections filled with fans’ experiences with loss and grief. The band shared some of the comments in a heartfelt post and also wrote a message to their followers a few days after the song was released, saying “We see you. We hear you . . . We are honored to be mentioned in the same breath as someone who meant the world to you but is no longer here.”
The band is currently on the Sad Summer Festival tour and plan to release a full-length album in the fall.
