Avery Steele Unleashes Raw Vulnerability on New Single “Even If It’s Not Real”

Born and raised in San Francisco and now carving out a new creative identity in New York, Avery Steele returns with a bold, emotionally heavy release titled “Even If It’s Not Real.” The track marks the second single from the upcoming album The Villain and showcases a crossover collaboration between Avery’s punk-rock persona and his electrifying house-music side project, 45.T33L3.

The result? A record that hits like a confession whispered between chaos and clarity.

A Collision of Two Worlds: Punk Heart, House Pulse

What makes “Even If It’s Not Real” so gripping is the fusion of raw punk emotion with the hypnotic rhythm of underground house music. Avery pulls from both sides of his artistic identity, creating a sound that’s gritty, immersive, and deeply human.

It doesn’t feel like a sonic experiment.

It feels like a purge.

Written From a Place of Self-Sabotage and Brutal Honesty

Avery describes this song as one of the most honest tracks he’s ever written, and the story behind it proves it.

To tap into the full weight of the emotions he was carrying, he recorded the vocals drunk—after three shots of liquor, a tequila Red Bull, and a White Claw. The goal wasn’t recklessness; it was authenticity. Avery wanted every slur, crack, tremble, and breath to reflect the truth of what he was feeling.

“It’s about loving someone despite knowing their malicious intentions toward you and ignoring all the red flags,” Avery explains. “Something I feel like a lot of people have done or are currently going through.”

That emotional collapse—loving someone who hurts you, clinging to a fantasy you know will break—is the heartbeat of the record.

The Story Behind the Lyrics: Loving Someone Who Might Break You

“Even If It’s Not Real” captures the bittersweet ache of devotion that comes at a cost. It’s a song about:

• Seeing the red flags but choosing the fantasy
• Knowing they don’t have good intentions but staying anyway
• Falling for the idea of someone more than who they really are

It’s a universal wound. Avery just rips the bandage off without hesitation.

The vulnerability in his vocal delivery paired with the dark, pulsing production makes the track feel like a 3 a.m. confession—raw, messy, and difficult to forget.

A Glimpse Into The Villain

If this second single is any indication, The Villain won’t just be an album—it will be an emotional autopsy. Avery Steele is leaning into discomfort, contradiction, and the darker corners of self-awareness, creating art that feels lived-in and unfiltered.

And “Even If It’s Not Real” positions itself as a standout moment in this unfolding story.