The Fray

From Grassroots to the Grammys

There was a time not so long ago that The Fray was little more than two friends holding jam sessions and tinkering with lyrics in their basement. That was in 2002. Now – four years, two more band members, a Platinum album, three Billboard Music Awards, two Grammy nominations, and many television features later – The Fray is on its way to musical fame on an international scale. The band mates maintain that the key to their success lies not only in talent, but in their grassroots beginning.

The Fray was formed in 2002 when former classmates Isaac Slade (vocals, piano) and Joe King (guitar, vocals) met by chance in a local guitar store in Denver, Colorado. They soon began regular two man jam sessions and began writing songs. The songs were catchy enough to attract two of Slade’s former band mates, Ben Wysocki (drums) and Dave Welsh (guitar), who joined soon after.

The band owes its early following to word of mouth generated from impressive local performances and radio gigs.
The group’s organic rise to fame is elemental to their long range plans: “I think it’s vital to the longevity of a band,” Joe King says. “Of course Denver is where it all started, but word spread across the country via the internet even before radio stations were playing us. I remember on our first headlining tour, we would play cities where we weren’t on the radio at all, and the venue would be full of people singing our lyrics.” He adds, “Some people think we came out of nowhere quickly, but we had been working hard for four years before the mainstream public had heard about us.”

Hard work has certainly brought the band where they are today. Despite rave reviews from local magazines, the band initially struggled to launch a single. Denver radio stations rejected eight of their songs before the band decided to submit “Over My Head (Cable Car).” The song found airplay and eventually became one of the stations top thirty most played songs of 2004, helping The Fray’s popularity to grow locally.

The band deeply appreciates its grassroots beginning, which according to guitarist David Welsh is “where music lives and breathes, where it finds its energy and its passion. Music can still exist when it becomes mainstream, but only if it has firm roots with the fans at home. I think you become a musician at home, and simply refine that skill on the road as a touring, major label band.”

The band members also look to their past for inspiration when writing songs. “Over My Head (Cable Car)” was inspired by Isaac Slade’s temporary estrangement from his brother: “It is about a fight I got in with my brother, Caleb. After he graduated high school, we drifted apart and really hadn’t spoken in a long time. One day we both realized that we needed to fight it out. We’d been friends for twenty years. That’s a long time when you’re only 23 years old. We fought it out, and he’s one of my best friends today.”

Similarly, “How To Save A Life” was inspired by Slade’s experience as a mentor to a crack addicted teen. “I was a sheltered suburban kid when I met this guy. He was a recovering addict, coming out of a really tough teenage life. Thankfully, he was on his way out of that life, so he was able to really look back with some objectivity. The song is more of a memoir about his slow motion descent and all the relationships he lost along the way.”

The band members believe their music doesn’t fit into any particular niche, but that the songs stand on their own and speak to listeners. Their gift for writing and composing songs has created music that resonates with all audiences. The Fray is one of the most licensed bands of 2006, with its music featured on “Scrubs,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “What About Brian,” “NCIS,” “One Tree Hill,” and “Bones.”

Listeners have also reacted to The Fray’s music with enthusiasm. Their debut album, How To Save A Life, has gone Platinum while its two singles “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and “How To Save A Life” have both reached the top 10 in the Billboard Charts.

The Fray has received recognition not only from television and their fans, but from the music business as well. They are currently nominated for two Grammy awards: “Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group with Vocals” for “Over My Head (Cable Car)” and the “Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group with Vocals” for How To Save A Life.

The success and popularity of The Fray has exploded in the past year and is rapidly on the rise! Don’t miss your chance to see them live at the Frank Erwin Center on January 29!