The Fray return with The Fray Is Back, ushering in a new era of collaboration and creativity, but it’s clear they’re not just revisiting their past, they’re forging a new future.
As the title declares, the Fray is back, and their long-awaited return couldn’t have arrived at a more perfect time. With The Fray Is Back, their first collection of new music in over a decade, the Colorado-bred band is celebrating not only the 20th anniversary of their multi-platinum debut album How To Save A Life, but also a creative rebirth. The six-song EP reflects a fresh, unbridled band that emerged from remote collaborations and personal reinvention. Named after a fan's joyful outburst at a recent live show, The Fray Is Back shows off a revitalized energy and a renewed sense of purpose. Joe King, the band’s primary songwriter, steps into the spotlight as lead vocalist for the first time, alongside longtime members Dave Welsh on guitar and Ben Wysocki on drums. “We didn’t set out with any big expectations for this project,” says King. “We just started sharing ideas and allowed the songs to take us on their own journey. It gave us a new sense of direction.”
The self-produced EP, with help from Andrew DeRoberts (Fitz and the Tantrums, Zac Brown Band), Ryan Linvill (Conan Gray), and Joe London (Thomas Rhett), shows some reinvention while staying rooted in the emotional tunes and introspective lyrics that’ve always been the Fray’s signature. From the EP’s opener, “Angeleno Moon,” a dreamy reflection on how things change, to the hauntingly beautiful closer, “Known You Always,” the songs reveal new layers to a band already stacked with them.
The collaborative process that sparked the EP’s creation was a far cry from the band's earlier years. “Before our hiatus, we weren’t necessarily pushing ourselves creatively,” explains Wysocki. “But this time, we gave ourselves a lot more freedom - it felt like a fun, empowering art project.” That sense of play and experimentation shines through in every song, creating a vibe that’s both fresh and familiar.
While The Fray Is Back marks the band’s first multi-song release since 2014’s Helios, it also represents a new beginning. The Fray’s early success with "How To Save A Life," which spent 58 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped the album of the same name become one of the best-selling debuts ever. Now, nearly 20 years later, they’re proving they’ve still got plenty to say. “For us, being able to pick up where we left off is an unbelievable honor,” says Welsh. “But starting a new conversation - that’s something we don’t take for granted.”