The Fray

来自丹佛的The Fray，早在2002年由八岁就开始唱歌的主唱并同时把玩钢琴/吉他Isaac Slade以及吉他/钢琴同样一把罩的Joe King，于当地唱片行再度相遇，基于相同音乐理念，引爆出两人对组团与创作的渴望。融合U2和Counting Crow/数乌鸦乐团风格，再加入Isaac前乐团好伙伴Ben Wysocki(鼓手)、Dave Welsh(吉他手)共四人，终将The Fray组军完成。十足默契以及动人节拍，很快成为丹佛当地热门无签乐团体，获得Westwor杂志「最佳新进乐团」，短短四个月内，DEMO作品〈Over My Head(Cable Car)〉成为当地电台点播大热门，并赢得最受欢迎歌曲前30名。2003年接连推出两张深受独立摇滚乐迷欢迎的EP，接着成为主流大厂眼中深具潜力新团，引来一阵抢人风波。
by Andrew Leahey
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.
How to Save a Life was released in September 2005, and "Over My Head (Cable Car)" found a quick home on modern rock radio. By early 2006, it had crossed over to Top 40 chart status, peaking at number eight and whetting the public's appetite for another hit. The Fray responded by releasing the album's title track, which was heavily used in a promotional campaign for the TV series Grey's Anatomy and quickly became one of 2006's biggest singles. "How to Save a Life" was a worldwide smash, reaching the Top Ten in the U.S. (where it continued to chart for 58 consecutive weeks) and peaking at number one in Bulgaria, Ireland, Canada, and Spain. By the time the smoke had cleared, the Fray's debut had been certified double-platinum in the U.S. and was declared the best-selling digital album of all time.
As How to Save a Life continued to enjoy worldwide chart success, the live album Live at the Electric Factory was released digitally and in selected independent stores in July 2006. The Fray re-released their Reason EP the following year while continuing to tour, occasionally playing new material (ostensibly from the band's sophomore album, to be tentatively released in 2008) at their high-profile shows.