Isaac Slade

Last updated

Isaac Slade
Isaac Slade.JPG
Slade in 2014
Background information
Birth nameIsaac Edward Slade
Born Boulder, Colorado, U.S.
Genres Alternative rock, pop rock
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • musician
  • songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano
Years active1999–2022
Formerly of

Isaac Edward Slade is an American singer and musician; the former lead vocalist, main songwriter, pianist and co-founder of Colorado-based rock band The Fray.

Contents

Education

Slade attended the University of Colorado Denver, as a music and entertainment industry studies major. He received a Bachelor of Music. [1]

Slade started singing when he was 8 years old, and began playing the piano at 11, after temporarily losing his voice. He wrote his first song when he was 16 and learned to play guitar when he was in high school. [2]

Career

Formation and early stages

Slade joined Ember, a band which consisted of Slade and his future band-mates Dave Welsh and Ben Wysocki. The band soon dissolved, and later, in the spring of 2002, Slade ran into former school-mate and vocalist/guitarist Joe King in a record store. The two began regular jam sessions, which led to writing songs. They later added Slade's younger brother, Caleb, on bass and Zach Johnson on drums.[ citation needed ]

Dave Welsh and Ben Wysocki re-joined Slade and King, to form the Fray. They soon released Movement EP , and in 2003, they released Reason EP to some local critical acclaim, particularly by Denver's Westword alternative newsweekly. [3] [4] Despite these reviews, the band struggled to launch a single. Denver radio station KTCL rejected eight of their songs before the band decided to submit "Cable Car". The song found airplay on a KTCL radio show highlighting local bands and the radio station received a large number of requests for it soon thereafter. The band changed the name of the song to "Over My Head (Cable Car)", and by the end of 2005, it had become KTCL's most played song of the year. [5]

Departure from The Fray

On March 12, 2022, Slade announced on Instagram that he had parted ways with the Fray, with his final concert with the band held at Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois, on May 14, 2022.

Influences

Slade at JazzFest 2016 The Fray 2.jpg
Slade at JazzFest 2016

Slade stated in an interview that one of the first songs that inspired him was "Swallowed" by Bush, and that the lyrics and tune had moved him enough to pursue his career. [6] In a post on AOL Radio Blog, he wrote:

As a boy "Swallowed" was my siren's song. I was a sheltered church child and here's this man talking about living the life his way, doing whatever he felt like doing. Bush wasn't allowed in my house either, which made it that much more mysterious. [7]

His other musical influences include Nine Inch Nails, Queen, Radiohead, R.E.M., Counting Crows, U2, and Led Zeppelin. [7]

Philanthropy

Slade performed on the 2010 remake of the 1985 charity single "We Are the World". [8] He joined 85 other artists on February 1, 2010, to record the track for the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. [9]

On October 27, 2013, Slade and the Fray played at the Colorado Flood Benefit Concert that raised nearly $500,000 for victims of the flood. [10]

Political views

Slade considers himself to be a centrist. He often votes for independent candidates. Slade sponsored Neal Simon, who was running as an independent candidate for senator from Maryland during the 2018 elections. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Rocks Amphitheatre</span> Concert venue near Morrison, Colorado, U.S.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre is an open-air amphitheatre built into a rock structure in the western United States, near Morrison, Colorado, ten miles (16 km) southwest of Denver. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind the stage, a huge vertical rock angled outwards from stage right, several large outcrops angled outwards from stage left, and a seating area for up to 9,525.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Fray</span> American rock band

The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their debut album, How to Save a Life released in 2005, was certified double platinum by the RIAA and platinum in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Their first single, "Over My Head ", became a top ten hit in the United States. Their second single, "How to Save a Life", charted in the top three of the Billboard Hot 100 and was a top 5 single in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KBCO</span> Adult album alternative radio station in Boulder, Colorado

KBCO is a radio station in Boulder, Colorado. It serves Boulder, the Denver metropolitan area, and Northern Colorado. Owned by iHeartMedia, it broadcasts an adult album alternative (AAA) format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTCL</span> Radio station in Wheat Ridge–Denver, Colorado

KTCL is a radio station licensed to Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Owned by iHeartMedia, it broadcasts an alternative rock format targeting the Denver metro area. Its studios are located alongside iHeartMedia's other Denver stations at 4695 S Monaco St. in the Tech Center, while its transmitter is located in Golden.

<i>How to Save a Life</i> (album) 2005 studio album by The Fray

How to Save a Life is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band The Fray. Released on September 13, 2005, through Epic Records, the record charted in the top 15 on the Billboard 200 and was a top ten hit in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK. The first two singles from the album, "Over My Head " and "How to Save a Life" helped the album become a commercial success and brought the band mainstream popularity.

<i>Reason</i> (The Fray EP) 2003 EP by The Fray

Reason EP is the second EP from Denver-based rock band the Fray, released in 2003 by an independent record label. In October 2007, the EP was re-released by Epic Records.

<i>Movement</i> (EP) 2002 EP by The Fray

Movement EP is the first EP from Denver-based rock band The Fray, released in 2002. The songs "Where You Want To" and "It's For You" feature Joe King on lead vocals, rather than the band's lead vocalist Isaac Slade. The album was recorded after Dave Welsh's earlier departure, and before Ben Wysocki joined the band. Mike Ayars and Zach Johnson are featured on guitar and drums respectively, and Dan Battenhouse on bass. The tracks "Oceans Away" and "Vienna" are also featured on the band's second EP, Reason. "Vienna" was again featured on the band's debut album, How to Save a Life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Over My Head (Cable Car)</span> 2005 song by The Fray

"Over My Head (Cable Car)" (originally performed simply as "Cable Car") is a song by American rock band the Fray. It was released in October 2005 as the lead single from their debut album How to Save a Life (2005) and hit the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single helped propel their album from the Top Heatseekers chart to the top 20 of The Billboard 200 chart. The CD single was backed with "Heaven Forbid" and a live version of "Hundred". In the United Kingdom, "Over My Head (Cable Car)" was released as the second single from the album, following "How to Save a Life".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">How to Save a Life</span> 2006 single by the Fray

"How to Save a Life" is a song by American alternative rock band the Fray, released in March 2006 as the second single from their debut studio album of the same name. The song is one of the band's most popular airplay songs and peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, becoming the band's highest charting song. It became the joint seventh longest charting single on the Billboard Hot 100, tying with Santana's "Smooth" (1999), at 58 consecutive weeks. The song has been certified 5× Platinum by the RIAA, and has sold 4.7 million downloads as of January 2015, the fourth best-selling rock song in digital history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe King (musician)</span> American guitarist (born 1980)

Joseph Aaron King is an American musician who is the guitarist, singer, songwriter, and co-founder of Denver-based rock band The Fray.

Single File was a band from Westminster, Colorado / Cleveland, Ohio. After achieving local success, the band was signed to Reprise Records in 2006.

<i>Acoustic in Nashville: Bootleg No. 2</i> 2007 live album by The Fray

Acoustic In Nashville – Bootleg No. 2 is the second live album by Denver-based rock band the Fray, available on iTunes as well as at some indie stores. It was recorded live in Nashville, Tennessee, in mid-December 2006, and released on September 4, 2007. It features never-before-released acoustic versions of "Look After You", "She Is", "Vienna", "How To Save A Life" and "Heaven Forbid".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flobots</span> American rap rock group

Flobots is an experimental rap rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2005 by Jamie Laurie. The band's origins date back 5 years earlier to a similar project by Laurie. Flobots found mainstream success with their major label debut Fight with Tools (2007), featuring the single "Handlebars", which became a popular hit on Modern Rock radio in April 2008. The band has released four studio albums and one EP, with their latest Noenemies being released in May 2017.

<i>The Fray</i> (album) 2009 studio album by The Fray

The Fray is the second studio album by American alternative rock band The Fray. Released on February 3, 2009, through Epic Records, the album debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200 chart, and became a top 5 hit in Australia and Canada.

John Common is an American songwriter, musician and singer based in Denver, Colorado, United States.

<i>Scars & Stories</i> 2012 studio album by the Fray

Scars & Stories is the third studio album by American alternative rock band the Fray. It was released on February 7, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Run for Your Life (The Fray song)</span> 2012 single by The Fray

"Run for Your Life" is the second single from the Fray's third album Scars & Stories. The music video was released on March 11, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Espe</span> Musical artist

Aaron Sheldon Espe is an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist and record producer.

Ian Cooke is a musician from Denver, Colorado, United States, born in Adelaide, South Australia. His band includes Sean Merrell, Whit Sibley and Ian O'Dougherty. Cooke has collaborated with many Denver area musicians: Isaac Slade of The Fray, Paper Bird, Laura Goldhamer, The Gamits, Andy Thomas, Esmé Patterson, Julie Davis and Joseph Pope III from Nathaniel Rateliff's band, and others. Cooke has shared the stage with artists such as Crooked Fingers, Flaming Lips, Dresden Dolls, Rasputina, Blonde Redhead, Paper Bird, Devotchka, Wovenhand, Shenandoah Davis, The Lumineers and The Head & The Heart, among others.

IN THE WHALE is an American alternative rock band from Greeley, Colorado composed of Nathaniel Valdez and Eric Riley.

References

  1. Goodland, Marianne (April 20, 2006). "CAM Records returns with release of Colorado Cuts". cu.edu. Archived from the original on March 14, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  2. "The Fray". vh1.com. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  3. Herrera, Dave (December 25, 2003). "All Mixed Up". Westword . Archived from the original on February 3, 2009.
  4. Heller, Jason (February 19, 2004). "The Fray: Reason EP (self-released)". westword.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2004.
  5. Smith, Dane (March 30, 2006). "The Fray Live the High "Life"". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on September 15, 2006.
  6. "Nightline Playlist: The Fray". ABC News. August 16, 2007. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  7. 1 2 "The Top 10 Lead Singers by The Fray's Isaac Slade". aolradioblog.com. September 30, 2009. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  8. Kaufman, Gil (February 2, 2010). "'We Are The World -- 25 For Haiti' Artists Include Kanye West, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber". MTV . Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  9. "The Song". Archived from the original on February 17, 2010. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  10. Ferner, Matt (October 28, 2013). "Colorado Flood Benefit Concert Raises Nearly $500K For Victims". Huffington Post. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
  11. "The Fray's Isaac Slade plays first solo show at rally for Md. Senate candidate Neal Simon". Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved July 28, 2021.