The Fray

Band

Photo: Lunchbox LP · CC BY 2.0
Active 2002-present
Origin Denver, Colorado
Albums 5
Tracks 56
Most frequent collaborator Aaron Johnson · 22 tracks
Genres RockAlternative RockPop Rock
Songwriter
80%
Authorship

Holds writing credit on 45 of 56 tracks

Who writes The Fray's songs?

Isaac Slade and Joe King. Slade is credited on all 45 tracks that publish writers and King on 42. Dave Welsh and Ben Wysocki have 18 each, all of them from 2012 onwards.

By the Numbers

5
Studio Albums
56
Tracks Credited
80%
Self-Written
24
Years Active
18
Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 45 / 56 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 56 tracks: how many The Fray wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

The Fray has a writing credit80%
52%
29%
20%
Sole author29tracks52%
Co-written16tracks29%
Outside writers11tracks20%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Lyricist Performer Composer Producer
The Fray's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 56 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)80%
Composer (music)80%
Producer0%
Performer100%

Member Credit Breakdown share of tracks each member is credited on

Percentage of all 56 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.

MemberPeriodLyricsMusicProductionPerformance
Joe King 2002-present
75%
75%
0%
100%
Dave Welsh 2002-present
32%
32%
0%
100%
Ben Wysocki 2002-present
32%
32%
0%
100%
Isaac Slade Former 2002-2022
80%
80%
0%
100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

The Fray's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 80%
100%
100%
100%
100%
0%
2005How to Save a Life
2009The Fray
2012Scars & Stories
2014Helios
2026A Light That Waits
Early · 100% written
Late · 100% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%
2000s
How to Save a Life, The Fray
100%
2010s
Scars & Stories, Helios
0%
2020s
A Light That Waits

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where The Fray sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

The Fray
Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Backstreet Boys25%
Rod Stewart40%
Kelly Clarkson49%
Sinéad O'Connor59%
Jesse McCartney67%
Smash Mouth83%
The Used92%
80%The Fray
Pure Performer0%
Songwriter~50%
Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

How to Save a Life
How to Save a Life
Written by Isaac Slade, Joe King, Joseph King
Wrote it
Over My Head (Cable Car)
How to Save a Life
Written by Isaac Slade, Joe King, Joseph King
Wrote it
Look After You
How to Save a Life
Written by Isaac Slade, Joe King, Joseph King
Wrote it
You Found Me
The Fray
Written by Isaac Slade, Joe King, Joseph King
Wrote it
Never Say Never
The Fray
Written by Isaac Slade, Joe King, Joseph King
Wrote it
Heartbeat
Scars & Stories
Written by Isaac Slade, Joe King, Joseph King
Wrote it
Love Don't Die
Helios
Written by Isaac Slade, Joe King, Dave Welsh, Ben Wysocki, Ryan Tedder, Joseph King, David Welsh
Co-wrote

Discography 5 albums

All five studio albums, including the 2026 self-released record. The EPs and the Through the Years compilation sit outside this catalogue.

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Photo of The FrayThe Fray56 tracks
AJ22Aaron Johnson, 22 tracks MF22Mike Flynn, 22 tracks BO12Brendan O'Brien, 12 tracks Photo of Stuart Price11Stuart Price, 11 tracks Photo of Ryan Tedder11Ryan Tedder, 11 tracks on OneRepublic's page B3busbee, 3 tracks MT3Matt Thiessen, 3 tracks MT3Matthew Thiessen, 3 tracks DB2Dan Battenhouse, 2 tracks MC1Monica Conway, 1 track A1Aqualung, 1 track MH1Matt Hales, 1 track BJ1Brett James, 1 track JB1Joakim Berg, 1 track CF1Carl Falk, 1 track WH1Wayne Hector, 1 track RY1Rami Yacoub, 1 track SH1Sam Hollander, 1 track

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. AJ Aaron Johnson · MF Mike Flynn · BO Brendan O'Brien · B busbee

Photo credits

Portraits in the web and the rail come from Wikimedia Commons. The artist's own photo carries its credit under the picture.

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

For the first two albums the band is a writing pair inside a four-piece: Slade and King take every track on How to Save a Life and The Fray, with Dave Welsh and Ben Wysocki credited on none of the 22. Scars & Stories in 2012 changes it, giving Welsh and Wysocki seven each, and Helios in 2014 credits all four on all eleven tracks. Then Slade leaves in 2022 and the band returns as a trio, and the 2026 self-released album publishes no credits at all, so eleven tracks sit undocumented.

Quick Facts

  • Isaac SladeAll 45 credited tracks
  • Joe King42 tracks
  • The other twoNo credits until 2012, then 18 each
  • Studio albumsFive, from 2005 to 2026
  • Biggest albumHow to Save a Life, double platinum in the US
  • Biggest single"How to Save a Life", number 3 on the Hot 100

Creative Fingerprint

A two-man writing team for seven years, then a four-way credit, then a self-released record with nothing published.

The Story

Isaac Slade and Joe King wrote The Fray between them. Slade is on all 45 credited tracks and King on 42, and the other two members only appear once the band starts writing together in 2012.

Frequently Asked Questions The Fray

Who writes The Fray's songs?
Isaac Slade and Joe King. Slade is credited on all 45 tracks that publish writers and King on 42. Dave Welsh and Ben Wysocki have 18 each, all of them from 2012 onwards.
Who wrote "How to Save a Life"?
Isaac Slade and Joe King, the pair who wrote every track on the album of the same name. It reached number 3 on the Hot 100.
How many albums have The Fray released?
Five studio albums, from How to Save a Life in 2005 to A Light That Waits in 2026. The EPs and the Through the Years compilation are counted separately.
When did the whole band start writing?
Scars & Stories in 2012 is the first album to credit Dave Welsh and Ben Wysocki, on seven tracks each. Helios in 2014 credits all four members on all eleven.
Has The Fray won a Grammy?
No. "How to Save a Life" was nominated for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and "Over My Head (Cable Car)" for Best Pop Performance, and "Never Say Never" brought a third nomination in 2010.
What happened to Isaac Slade?
Slade left the band in 2022, and the band returned as a trio to release their sixth extended play, The Fray Is Back, in 2024.
How well did the debut sell?
The album received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and was also certified platinum in Australia.
Why does the newest album have no credits?
A Light That Waits, self-released in 2026, has no Wikipedia article and the Discogs release carries the track list only. No writing or production credits are published for it anywhere.
Who is in the band now?
Joe King, Dave Welsh and Ben Wysocki, the three who have been there since 2002 alongside Slade.
Which album charted highest?
The Fray, from 2009, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. How to Save a Life reached number 15 and sold more.

Sources

Wikipedia: The Fray Wikipedia: The Fray discography