The Fray's style is a sophisticated, emotional blend of tinkling pianos, acoustic and electric guitars, and gently insistent rhythms.

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• The Fray at MSN Music
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Artist of the Month:

The Fray

From the sleepy sprawl of America's mile-high city comes The Fray, a Denver-based foursome whose melodic pop-rock songs and soaring vocals resonate with sprawling tapestries and tales of hopefulness and heartache.

Formed in 2002 by Isaac Slade (vocals, piano) and Joe King (guitar, vocals), The Fray earned a loyal grassroots following through impressive area gigs and the support of local radio which led a listen-driven campaign to get the band a record contract.

"The coolest guys in my eighth grade class
all played guitar. I wanted to fit in."

With strong word-of-mouth, the band won "Best New Band" honors from Denver's Westword Magazine and garnered substantial airplay on two of Denver's top rock stations. The demo version of "Over My Head (Cable Car)" became KTCL's top 30 most played song of 2004 in just four months. The band signed to Epic Records in 2004 and released their debut album How To Save A Life this September.

"Three years ago, I thought I wanted to start a real estate company," laughs co-founder King. A serendipitous encounter with former schoolmate Slade at a local music store begat an impromptu jam session that begat an impromptu songwriting session that begat The Fray. It wasn't your usual rock 'n' roll lineup—vocals, guitar, and piano—but it worked. The uplifting, melody-driven songs were catchy enough to attract two former bandmates of Slade's, drummer Ben Wysocki and guitarist Dave Welsh. "Ben and I were basically a package deal at the time," explains Welsh. "Ben joined first, but I think he felt lonely without me."

The lineup secure, all the band needed was a name. Jokes about the boys' tendency to battle it out over song composition led to the suggestion of "The Fray," and the name stuck. So did The Fray's style—a sophisticated, emotional blend of tinkling pianos, acoustic and electric guitars, and gently insistent rhythms that serves as an ideal backdrop for Slade's pitch-perfect, achingly beautiful vocals.

The band has appeared live on VH1 and they're currently on tour in support of their How To Save A Life album. For concert dates, ticket information, and more about the band visit the band's official site.