[6] The band began the writing for Realis in September 2009 in a practice space in Beaverton, Oregon.

Written in half the time of their previous album, The Everlasting Man, Realis was "a lot more focused and cohesive".

[8]Ellis also stated: It is a deeply personal record and it’s laced with doubt and fear, but I'm really proud of what we did with it and my goal is that it would stand on its own after the lights and frenzy of sermon at a hardcore show die down.

For the drum tracking and mixing of the record, A Hope for Home recruited the help of drummer Chris Common (These Arms Are Snakes).

He runs a studio in Seattle with my favorite producer, Matt Bayles, and those guys have done records by bands like Botch and Isis, and it was insane to work with them".