Ever wonder what independent musicians do the other twenty-three hours a day when they’re on tour? Real Fun answers this question with over one hundred photographs of musicians and bands in their downtime—sleeping, eating, fishing, and just goofing off. Ashod Simonian has traveled with scores of the finest bands in indie rock. His dreamy, lush Polaroids capture the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Spoon, Pavement, Elliott Smith, The Shins, Sleater-Kinney, Broken Social Scene, Wilco, and more. Many of these bands also contributed essays and memoirs to the book, making it an essential collection of wisdom and memories from the road by bands both popular and obscure.

Real Fun is accompanied by a CD of exclusive tracks by bands featured in the book, including: All Smiles, Califone, Dios, Flash Hawk Parlor Ensemble, Fuck, Irving, Kaito, Les Georges Leningrad, Jason Lytle, Mt. Eerie, Norfolk & Western, Panty Lions, Pine Marten, Preston School of Industry, Radar Bros., Sleeping States, Slumber Party, and Stereo Total. These tracks were selected by Simonian especially for Real Fun. They are a kind of public soundtrack to this compendium of private moments.

Ashod Simonian is a Portland, Oregon-based musician and photographer.