The Fray

By pitching their music somewhere between the arena-friendly style of U2 and the mature pop/rock of bands like Better Than Ezra and Counting Crows, The Fray rose to commercial prominence with their 2005 debut, How To Save A Life. The Denver-based band had formed three years prior, when former schoolmates Isaac Slade (vocals, piano) and Joe King (guitar, vocals) unexpectedly bumped into each other at a local music store. The pair began a series of two-man jam sessions and soon expanded their lineup with two of Slade's former bandmates, drummer Ben Wysockiand guitarist David Welsh. Slade's younger brother, Caleb, also joined the band for a stint, but was ultimately asked to leave; the resulting rift between the two siblings would later inspire the band's first hit single, "Over My Head (Cable Car)." After issuing the Movement EP in 2002, the quartet gained the support of Denver's KTCL radio station with its follow-up release, 2003's Reason Ep. As The Fray's airplay increased alongside their local profile (Westworld, a Denver alt.weekly publication, deemed them "Best New Band" in 2004), they began attracting attention from Epic Records. The label ultimately signed the band in December 2004, and The Fray toured alongside Weezer and Ben Folds the following summer.

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