Real Face is Andrew & Lillian Tyson; two eternal homies hailing from Nashville, TN. Andrew plays acoustic guitar, Lillian plays saxophone, and they sing earnest songs about their life: the bikes they ride, the friends they love, the jokes they share, and the encounters with God. At first glance Real Face is an adorable couple who can rip a gig, but look a little closer and you'll see two fellas who love sharing hope and building community through live music.

Though this is the current and best form of Real Face, the project has taken a few shapes since its accidental origin long ago. In Fall 2017, young Andrew was doing a graphic design internship at a mega church in Charlotte, NC and didn’t know how to spend his free time. He had a slew of roommates that he didn’t connect with, so he would spend his weekends at the office, basking in the loneliness that seemed to produce excessive amounts of art. He’d spend hours designing graphics for his blog, re-watching TV shows, and listening to midwest-emo records. Andrew had released an instrumental album the prior year and had played music for the church he grew up in, but had never esteemed himself as a lyricist. Then, one fateful evening, while noodling around on his guitar, a song miraculously dropped from heaven: “Well.” Lyrics started flowing and the first Real Face song was written, though at the time, the name Real Face had not been known, nor the potential of more songs.

The internship ended late 2017 and Andrew moved back to his hometown in Pennsylvania, Beaver Falls. Without a convincing path forward, he enrolled in Beaver Falls’ own Geneva College as an independent major in 2018. One of the silver linings at Geneva was the oddly vibrant DIY music scene. This scene wasn’t Geneva’s doing, but the doings of crusty art kids who wanted to do punk and hardcore shows with their friends. Bands like Captain The Sky, Primer & Grayscale, & Park were foundational to this scene (though not a band, Abigail Bankes, photographer and fan, should be remembered as the glue and the joy and a downright blessing).

Being surrounded by a culture of bands helped Andrew start dreaming about making his own contribution. This next crucial step toward this newfound goal was ushered in by the course “Humanities 103”. Due to this class, taught by Dr Eric Miller, and reading authors like CS Lewis, Gk Chesterton, and Kathleen Norris, Andrew’s perspective on Christianity softened, becoming something he wanted to understand and know. This led him to start writing songs that complimented the themes of the essays he was writing in class and eventually had 6 songs to show for it at the end of the semester. That project was no doubt called Humanities 103, but still he didn’t know what the artist name would be.

During the internship in Charlotte, Andrew had sparked a friendship with a friend of a friend through phone calls. That friend was Samuel Schmidt, and he had been Andrew’s listening ear through the writing season of Humanities 103. Andrew would send voice memos to Samuel whenever he finished a new song. Samuel’s friend Taylor Moore (now Andrew’s friend too) had suggested Samuel call his band Real Face, but Samuel thought it better for Andrew’s band to be called Real Face. Andrew loved it. It was obvious what it needed to be called. Real Face it was.

Real Face (the band) debuted at the dream gig, Angst Fest 2018. Andrew and friends played a rowdy version of Humanities 103 and made a great first impression on the scene at Geneva College. With friends-turned-fans raging, the time had come to make the record. Andrew had produced other projects for friends and the aforementioned solo electronic project, but had never recorded live drums. Providentially, he was asked by a local Church to lead worship around that time, and asked if he could use their sound board and drum kit to record drums for Humanities 103 instead of receiving payment. It’s important to note that Real Face throughout all these years has largely been built through bartering and gifts… Regarding the drums, Andrew’s friend was supposed to track them but cancelled at the last minute, leading Andrew to play the drums himself. He would press record on his laptop from the back of the sanctuary and run to the drum kit to get a take. After a few hours of running and recording he figured he had gotten some half-usable stuff. At first he thought it was garbage, but with the help of some YouTube tutorials the drums started sounding explosive. He was off to the races and other instruments started being layered in one by one that summer. The recording process was loose and free. No one was demanding this record be made and Andrew quietly and gladly poured his whole being into the work.

Humanities 103 released on his birthday October 1, 2018. A more permanent live band was formed with David Parker on guitar, Matty Prepelka on bass, and first Dylan Kerston on drums and later Chris Tyson. They played a handful of shows in the greater Pittsburgh area with bands like Sun Not Yellow, Mandancing, Second To Safety, Montell Fish, and even Handguns. Their first tour was one week long, playing houses and bars in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Illinois. An especially memorable festival they played was Winter Wind Down fest in Williamsport, PA with Chris Bernstorf, Nathan K., Kept On Hold and many others. During this time Andrew had been writing and recording a sequel to Humanities 103, inspired by a different college class he was in that fall. The core influences were from Phillip Reiff’s book, My Life Among The Death Works and the teachings of Joel S. Ward. This work was to be called Sacred Order and its hope was to be darker in tone, more over driven, and more philosophical.

Andrew recorded Sacred Order alone in 2019 while spending a summer in Ocean City, MD. He was living at his grandparents' beach house and was simulating his own artist residency. He’d record in the mornings and busk on the boardwalk in the evenings. With youthful self imposed expectations, the recording experience was a little more frantic and frustrating. When producing Humanities 103 he was like a child discovering gems in a sandbox, but with constructs of future success looming, he recorded more anxiously. There would be days of recording the same guitar parts over and over, even though they were mostly the same. Nonetheless, the album was completed and he was proud. Andrew finished the summer in Ocean City and headed towards Nashville, TN to finish his last semester of college in the Contemporary Music Center’s artist program.

Real Face initially released Sacred Order on August 22, 2019, but became skeptical of the boomy masters he had bounced and took it down shortly after. He re-mastered it with the help of Luke DeJaynes (his teacher at CMC) and re-released it on November 22nd. This is shared to further show how Andrew was starting to be a little too fixated on “doing it right." Sacred Order was well received, offered growth to Real Face as a business and indicated that future success was not only possible but imminent. Andrew thought the only option was to get bigger and better, so he started working on the “big” album.

Andrew started writing Dumb Blue Car that fall in Nashville, with a goal to refine his lyricism. In the first two records, while he had a fair amount of witty lyrics and layered meanings, he felt there were some lyrics leaving desire still to be found. In the writing of Dumb Blue Car, no stone was left unturned. He turned and turned and turned lyrics until they felt compelling and clear. The content of this album was about a college relationship and breakup. Andrew’s critique on break up albums was that they often seemed self indulgent and victim-y. He hoped to write Dumb Blue Car to be self reflective, blame taking, and empathetic towards both parties. The spirit of the album was inspired much by Timothy Keller’s The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness. At large, Dumb Blue Car was a wonderful writing process and did ultimately grow him as a writer. He re-fell in love with writing and was further affirmed with a feeling that this would be the “big” album.

After the Nashville semester ended, Andrew was finished with college and moved back to Beaver Falls, PA. With all of the new freedom, he started scheming bigger tours and more elaborate goals for Real Face. The first month-long tour was slated for May 2020, but was shortly thereafter cancelled by covid. With an abundance of time on his hands, Andrew got to work on production for Dumb Blue Car earlier than he imagined. After saving money from Doordashing and Instacart, he facilitated yet another artist residency in Warsaw, IN June 2020. Andrew’s friends Samuel Schmidt and Samuel Sharik lived there, and their college avidly encouraged them to use their state of the art studio. The boys quarantined, lived, ate and ultimately made the foundation for a great record in that studio. They got to work recording drums with Lleyton Brainard, the piano with Samuel Schmidt, the bass with Andrew, and the percussion with Samuel Sharik. This was the first time Andrew felt like a career musician, living and breathing a deeply creative use of days.

In July 2020, Andrew continued the Dumb Blue Car pilgrimage to Sawyer Norman’s house in Chattanooga, TN. There, they worked on recording Sawyer’s debut EP and continuing the work on Dumb Blue Car. After one week in Chattanooga, they took a trip to Nashville, TN to spend more concentrated time on Dumb Blue Car. Benjamin Mariano and John Schwallie of Despicable Records both contributed greatly to the record that week- John, much of the guitar work, and Ben, many of the bells, booms, and whistles. The record was sounding bigger than ever, and with all of the friends collaborating it felt like the only option was to get more people on it.

Throughout fall 2020, Andrew had over 20 collaborators contribute stems to Dumb Blue Car over the internet. After making two records alone, much of the joy in making Dumb Blue Car was collaborating as much as he could with friends. No contribution was too small. So much joy in the making. In Early 2021, Andrew & Samuel Schmidt would take trips to each other’s homes, to Nashville, and to Chattanooga, to do post production work for Dumb Blue Car. KickStarter donors contributed over $3,645 for the record. Another collaboration that was exciting during this time was with Holy Moly Records in Nashville, TN. This DIY label was going to release Dumb Blue Car so Andrew made the move to live in Nashville full time on March 6, 2021. Andrew and the Holy Moly gang grinded happily and then released Dumb Blue Car on April 30, 2021.

Expectations can be a killer and the release of Dumb Blue Car was underwhelming. By all standards it was a fine release with enough energy, but all the hope of it “blowing up” came and went. It was received well by die hard supporters but ultimately did not prove to be a break out record. Sadly, Holy Moly Records parted ways with Andrew a month after the release leaving him discouraged in what felt like vain work. In summer 2021, Andrew took time off music and social media. He got a (blessed) job at Sixth Avenue Skatepark in Nashville, TN and started enjoying the community there. This job really came at a wonderful time, bringing hope when the music stuff didn’t seem to meet Andrew’s hopes. Andrew never considered quitting Real Face, but the whole “I’m gonna make it” thing showed itself as the illusion it was. He skated, made friends, and sunk into the new reality of his odd new home.

Inevitably Andrew started writing LP4, Like Those Who Dream in fall 2021. Do you really think that lil fella would quit this dang thing? During this time he had gotten a job teaching middle school math and wrote Like Those Who Dream during lunch breaks and planning periods. After swimming in the somewhat taxing, emotional, reflective world of Dumb Blue Car, Andrew knew he wanted Like Those Who Dream to be about friendship, skateboarding, and learning to have fun. So that’s what he did. He had a lot of fun and wrote a classically raw and explosive record about re-falling in love with skateboarding and life. He’d taken a ten year break from the sport but was enraptured again as an adult. As the single boy Andrew was, it was wonderful for him to have such a relationship with skateboarding. Regarding “making it” and “marketing” and “promotion,” Andrew knew he really didn’t give a damn and just focused on making a phenomenal record with his friends.

So Andrew did all the things you should not do if you want your business to thrive. He deleted his website, social media accounts, and even sold his car. He was reading books by Henry David Thoreau, Wendell Berry and Kathleen Norris, learning about simple living, farming, and monastic living and was changing up his life radically. In January 2022 he and his new Nashville roommates Samuel Schmidt and Lleyton Brainard started recording Like Those Who Dream together in their tiny apartment on Archer Street. Samuel was the producer, and Lleyton was the drummer. Eventually David Parker moved from Pittsburgh and built a third level to their bunk bed. Of course David recorded those twangy, glorious emo guitar parts. Lastly, Chris Tyson took a trip to Nashville and recorded the heavy guitars. The boys did a lot of skating, playing music, scheming ways to get free food, and praying Compline together in those early days. While joy in community was abundant, so was the hardship of unity. Tensions were high at times, but a real band was starting to emerge. It felt worth doing to the whole team. The gang eventually added McKenna Gallion (now McKenna Schmidt) to the band to play keys and sing, and Real Face started booking shows that summer, and playing shows they did. While only a few, they were mighty, inspiring, and just flat out fun. Sadly, money and business became a point of tension and the band fizzled just three short months after. With a monstrous unreleased album, and no band to compliment it, Andrew was seemingly back to where he had started at the beginning of his Real Face venture.

On the last full band show at DrkMttr on August 28, 2022, Andrew fatefully met his future wife and future bandmate. Lillian Pletcher (now Lillian Tyson) was invited by a friend and she and Andrew connected quickly. They really did not hesitate when it came to dating and even moving towards marriage. They started talking about joining life forces only one month after meeting each other. They made Nashville theirs, riding bikes, going to the farmers market, and hanging out with a stray cat (God’s cat) Basil on the steps at the Archer Street apartment.

During the collapse of the band, Andrew was reading A Little Manual for Knowing by Esther Meek, and planning a big tour for the gang. The book was about committing to a venture and Andrew had committed to doing a tour as his Knowing Venture. As Meek taught, a Knowing Venture was an unforeseen future, one you learn to invite, indwell and ultimately love through covenant. Though now without a band, Andrew knew he still needed to do the tour. In December 2022, He played three weeks of acoustic with occasional saxophone features by Lillian when they played “Confirmation Bias.” While Real Face was still important to Andrew, it wasn’t really a band or business anymore. It was just the truest expression of his person and story. 

With the tour finished, Andrew & Lillian started preparing for a season of engagement and then marriage. They spent a lot more time with Basil the cat and Father Bill, who kindly facilitated their premarital counseling. The story of Real Face is truly not the same without the mention of Father Bill and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. This was the place they encountered God through the organ playing of Carl and met one of the most Holy Spirit filled people they would ever meet, Daniel (St. Daniel of the Cookery!). They enjoyed their life as lay people there.

In the meantime, the recordings of Like Those Who Dream were released to the internet on March 6, 2023, the 2 year anniversary of Andrew’s move to Nashville. The night before its release, Andrew & Lillian threw an album listening party on the steps of the Archer Street apartment with hotdogs provided by Isaac Walker and David Parker. Andrew & Lillian had made an immersive zine for this Like Those Who Dream and Lillian even custom made 100 CD’s to accompany each zine. It was a bittersweet release and night for Andrew because the album was out and celebrated, but just not the way he wanted. He still mourned the loss of the band. Though, he had another thing that was more imperative to focus his energy on and that was the engagement of him & Lillian.

Andrew & Lillian entered the covenant of marriage on June 3, 2023 and promptly zipped out to Big Sky, Montana for their honeymoon. That summer they spent time at monasteries, hiked mountains, pursued learning how to be married, worked at a dude ranch, and even led tours in Yellowstone. As one might guess, Andrew started writing a new record called Knowing Venture that summer. It was largely inspired by that book that got Lillian and him hitched (Little Manual for Knowing) and all the excessive amounts of Alex G songs they were listening to. The words had some of the light wittiness found in Like Those Who Dream but still managed to tell the story of the two beginning their venture of marriage. Midway through their time in Montana they learned they were expecting a baby as well as an album and started making plans for Nashville.

Nashville welcomed Andrew & Lillian with open arms, and they both got full time jobs. Andrew was teaching again, but this time, art, which was thought to be the dream gig. Lillian was working a temporary job to pile away some cash for the baby. All the while Andrew was self producing Knowing Venture in his spare time. Friends collaborated on this record for sure, but as friends. Meaning, there was no band, just friends trading time and music and love. Knowing Venture & the hyper pop effort 222 were finished quickly and lovingly, as no one had pressure on them. The challenge that came during this time was Andrew’s new/old job teaching art. With difficulty at work, the seemingly wide open path had narrowed into a difficult situation. He felt a release to quit without a plan and did that just three months later. It was during this time Andrew got the idea to make a music production non-profit.

Oatmeal House was birthed in January 2024 and emerged from the hope to make music with and for friends with no financial expectations. It was a Patreon funded effort, and Andrew & Lillian committed to not charging anyone for any art for the whole year of 2024. It was a radical experiment in generosity, trust, and making that created the foundation for their child to enter the world. Andrew & Lillian released 222 on February 22, 2024 and then Knowing Venture on March 29, 2024. The projects were heard by a few faithful email fans but largely were unnoticed as Andrew & Lillian still did not have social media. The two were happy with their secret project.

During one Oatmeal House recording session with artist Amanda Bernstorf from Visitor Pass, the dream emerged that Real Face could go on tour that year. Maybe Knowing Venture could have more of life if they played it out?! So, they reached out to touring legend Kevin Schlereth, and started booking a west coast tour for the fall. Kevin had 4 kids and a wife and had been traveling and doing music for the past 20 years, so they thought his family would be the best teachers for them as they had their new daughter.

Basil Claire Tyson was born to Andrew & Lillian on March 18th, 2024. The happiest day of their lives it was, and it allowed a nice spring of home making and time with their squishy one. And squishy she was. In the sleepless nights, ideas for a new record started emerging as Andrew would play a nylon string guitar to Lillian and Basil. The summer was spent playing local shows, making an instagram account, recording Oatmeal House projects, and even playing the music festival Audiofeed. At that festival Andrew, Lillian, and Basil got to meet the Schlereth’s and many of the hosts for the upcoming west coast tour. This festival was the foundation for their future art community and friends. Little did they know!

In mid-July the young family packed their belongings into a friend's garage, loaded up the Prius and set out to venture on a 45 show tour out to California and back. Real Face played as a duo—just Lillian and Andrew. They made a point to see lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins along the way. Many of the shows were played in houses, cafes, churches, and sometimes music venues. Real Face had a large opportunity to form an understanding of themselves as musicians in the live context in a way they’d never had before. They grew in their playing, their communication during practice, and even their ability to face the humiliation of rough shows. And there were definitely rough shows. There was no shortage of beauty in this odd journey through growth, humiliation, and National Parks. The Knowing Venture really got to be a Knowing Venture.

Sometime after they finished their 2.5 homeless months on the road they got back to Nashville to stay at a friend's house. They decided to plan an East Coast Winter Tour for early 2025 with the momentum from the west coast tour. They had the songs down, but they wanted to expand them even further. So they wrote saxophone parts and started working on not just playing the parts right, but playing them with joy and spirit. It felt scary that they would head out on the road without their Spirit Guides, The Schlereth’s, but the knowing venture was not over. With Real Face as the priority then, they decided to happily close Oatmeal House and focus solely on Real Face at the end of 2024. Over 50 songs were made for free through Oatmeal House that year.

That leads us to the 2025 world tour—world tour because they played two shows in Canada! The tour was 35 dates and Real Face crushed it. This was scary to some extent to be on their own, but with planning, good communication, and most importantly prayer, the tour was a success. The end of the tour marked six months of the Tyson’s being homeless, so it was time for them to start moving towards a home base.

As of March 2025, the Tyson’s live in Ocean City, MD. They are discerning what future recordings and tours may look like. They love doing music and are grateful for this gift in their life. Follow the email list to receive a monthly update from them, and continue knowing their venture! 

Written by Andrew but in third person because that’s far more fun.
Edited by Lillian