Only Real is a mystery, enveloped in intrigue, now available on streaming platforms.
A decade ago, the songwriter and producer released his debut album in full, marking a significant chapter in his creative journey. Released in 2015, ‘Jerk At The End Of The Line’ was a compelling showcase of bedroom pop, driven by individual passions and eccentric impulses.
Then came silence.
Only Real stepped away from the limelight, but his music lingered—indeed, it seemed to flourish in his absence, with fans growing increasingly attached.
However, last year, everything shifted. A new single surfaced online, breaking an almost ten-year hiatus for new material. Now, a complete EP is available, with ‘Days Go By’ revealing Only Real's place in 2025.
This collection of songs celebrates personal evolution and imaginative revival, representing a stunning, enchanting new beginning for a remarkable artist.
In this piece, Only Real shares his decade-long experience leading to the new EP with CLASH.
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On a warm spring evening in 2011, I found myself at my computer, attempting to check my emails. I had just spent the day corralling my inebriated friends through the streets of West London, piecing together a music video for a song I was developing. When I finally logged in, I discovered an unread message in my Only Real inbox. This was significant—up until that point, I had yet to receive any emails, except for the times I used my address to order pizza. I hadn’t ordered pizza that evening. Yet.
In the context of the polished online content we now routinely consume, it may seem absurd that I was filming a video for a song that was only partially completed. The reality is, over the next few years, I often only half-finished the projects I released. So, in my somewhat chaotic 19-year-old mind, there was some logic behind it.
The email was from someone named Noam, who mentioned he ran a blog called Don’t Die Wondering and worked for a record label called Merok—I looked it up and saw they had signed Klaxons, which made my heart race. I thought, my goodness, I might be on the brink of fame.
He inquired about Only Real and informed me that he would feature it on his blog the next day. I was unfamiliar with music blogs, but it turned out the 'blogosphere' resonated with me. Within 24 hours of him posting my song, everything clicked into place—there were numerous reblogs, a surge of new followers on Soundcloud and Facebook (some of whom I hadn’t even known in school!), followed by a flurry of messages like, “Hey Only, love the tunes! Want to grab 10 pints on a Tuesday afternoon?” from artist managers and record label A&Rs. With all this newfound attention, I thought I might need a new email address just to order my pizzas.
These blogs were the TikTok of that era, guiding the music industry toward which artists to pursue for 10 pints.
I kept releasing tracks on Soundcloud, and in early 2013, I released a 7-inch through a small, ephemeral subsidiary of Warner called ASL records. Later that autumn, I released a self-produced EP through a label named LuvLuvLuv, which was under Universal. It’s hard to believe now, but those releases didn’t even make it to Spotify back then.
That year, I also threw a party at a bar I had frequented growing up on Portobello Road where I played one of my first London shows. It was an absolute success, and, as planned, that show led to me signing with a major label. I was still too young to fully grasp what this meant in terms of what I was gaining (£££) and what I was giving away (my soul) – just kidding!
However, I did notice that things seemed to shift at this juncture – I reflect on this as the start of a new era for Only Real. The initial years had been pure and enjoyable—exciting and ambitious, evolving in a manner that felt coherent.
This new era was different—I had aged a few years, and Only Real was no longer just a bedroom project. At that time, I thought I remained determined and clear about my vision for Only Real, but in hindsight, things had started to blur. New externa opinions (from well-meaning label representatives and the online critics that accompany popularity) infiltrated my overthinking mind, making it increasingly difficult to sort through my own thoughts. Eventually, this led to overwhelming anxiety and insecurity; partying became an unhealthy coping mechanism that spiraled out of control. Looking back, I can see how I lost my way, and this contributed to things unraveling shortly thereafter.
This isn’t to suggest that if my choices had been free from others’ influence, the outcomes would have been dramatically different. What
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Only Real is a puzzle, shrouded in mystery, now available on streaming platforms. Ten years ago, the songwriter and producer released his debut album in its entirety.