The Fray
Best known for the single “How to Save a Life,” The Fray is a Grammy-nominated, four-piece piano rock band currently composed of Isaac Slade on lead vocals and piano, Joe King on bass guitar and backing vocals, Dave Welsh on lead guitar, and Ben Wysocki on drums.
It all began with regular two-man jam sessions by Slade and King in 2002, with the addition of drummer Zach Johnson and bassist Caleb Slade, Isaac’s younger brother. The departure of Caleb from the band cause an estrangement between the brothers, and this later inspired the band to write “Over My Head,” a song about the rift between the two. When Johnson left, he was replaced by Wysocki as drummer, and later on Welsh also joined as primary guitarist. The band name came from a suggestion bowl during Caleb’s graduation party. At first, the quartet mentioned that The Fray was very fitting, because of the frequent quarrels they have over the lyrical compositions, but they later on took this back, saying that every member’s contributions to the compositions is being recognized.
Prior to their debut album, The Fray released two EPs, namely, Movement EP, which featured four songs, and Reason EP. The latter was critically lauded locally, and when the group submitted the single “Cable Car,” they immediately found exposure through radio airplays.
How to Save a Life was The Fray’s first full-length record, released in September 2005. The single “Cable Car” was re-named to “Over My Head (Cable Car)”, later becoming the KTCL’s most played song of that year and hitting the top 40 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The same single also peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 charts. Because of the success of their debut album, the quartet did a number of opening acts for various artists, including Weezer and Ben Folds.
As the band was still at the height of success off their debut album, some of their other songs also became featured in several TV shows and movies – “How to Save a Life” in Grey’s Anatomy, Scrubs and One Tree Hill, and “Look After You” also in One Tree Hill, Journeyman, and the movie Jumper. When “How to Save a Life” was eventually released as the band’s second single, it later reached #3 in the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing their first chart-topper. The fact that the single was chosen to be the main advertising promotion for Grey’s Anatomy’s season premiere was contributory to its commercial success, not only in the US but in UK and Canada as well. It has sold over 2 million copies in the US alone and has reached the double platinum status.
The band’s follow-up effort was a self-titled album, released 4 years after their debut. Their first single off the album was “You Found Me,” which made its debut on a commercial break of Grey’s Anatomy. The promotions for this album similarly worked, because their first single reached the #1 spot in Australian charts in no time. After “Over My Head” and “How to Save a Life,” “You Found Me” also became the quartet’s third song to sell 2 million downloads in US alone. Overall, it has been certified gold in three countries – US, Canada and Australia. The second single off the album was “Never Say Never,” and together, these two singles got the band two nominations in its 52nd Grammy Awards.
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