The Fray

The Fray are an American rock band formed in Denver, Colorado, in 2002. The original lineup consisted of vocalist and pianist Isaac Slade, guitarist Joe King, guitarist Dave Welsh, and drummer Ben Wysocki. Slade and King met in school and began writing songs together before Welsh and Wysocki, who had earlier played with Slade in a band called Ember, joined the project. After self-releasing two EPs, the band signed to Epic Records and released their debut album, How to Save a Life, in 2005.

The record produced the singles «Over My Head (Cable Car)» and the title track «How to Save a Life», both of which became major radio hits and earned the band Grammy nominations, establishing The Fray as one of the defining piano-rock acts of the mid-2000s. Their sound blends emotive, melodic piano lines with anthemic choruses and introspective lyrics, placing them alongside contemporaries in the adult alternative and pop-rock space while also drawing occasional country and R&B-tinged influences.

The band went on to release the self-titled album The Fray, featuring the hit «Never Say Never», followed by Scars and Stories and Helios. In 2016 they compiled their biggest songs on the retrospective Through the Years. Isaac Slade departed the band in 2022, and the remaining members have continued as a trio.