Isaac Slade
| Isaac Slade | |
|---|---|
|
Slade in 2014. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Isaac Edward Slade |
| Born | May 26, 1981 |
| Genres | Pop rock, alternative rock |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist, musician, songwriter, pianist |
| Instruments | Vocals, piano, guitar |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | Epic, Sony |
| Associated acts | Ember, the Fray |
| Website | thefray.com |
Isaac Edward Slade (born May 26, 1981) is an American musician and the lead vocalist, main songwriter, pianist and co-founder of Colorado-based rock band The Fray.
Life and career
Early years
Slade was born in Denver, Colorado, and raised in the metropolitan area with his family, which included both parents—who were missionaries from the same family—and two younger brothers, Caleb and Micah. He also lived for a time in Guatemala due to his parents' profession, where he studied at Interamerican School in the city of Quetzaltenango. The Slade family are of English and Slovakian descent. He attended Faith Christian Academy in Arvada, Colorado and later 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]
The Fray
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 1999, Slade ran into former school-mate and vocalist/guitarist Joe King in a record store.[3] 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.
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.[4][5] 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.[6]
Personal life
On April 17, 2014, Slade and his wife announced the birth of their son, Judah Alexander Slade, via the band's Facebook page.[7]
Charity work
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]
Influences
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.[11] 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."[12]
His other musical influences include Nine Inch Nails, Queen, Radiohead, R.E.M., Counting Crows, U2, and Led Zeppelin.[12]
References
- ↑ Goodland, Marianne (April 20, 2006). "CAM Records returns with release of Colorado Cuts". cu.edu. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- ↑ "The Fray". vh1.com. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- ↑ Thrills, Adrian (January 15, 2009). "The Fray's Isaac Slade reveals how Bruce Springsteen helped save his marriage". Daily Mail. London.
- ↑ Herrera, Dave (December 25, 2003). "All Mixed Up". Westword.
- ↑ Heller, Jason (February 19, 2004). "The Fray: Reason EP (self-released)". westword.com.
- ↑ Smith, Dane (March 30, 2006). "The Fray Live the High "Life"". Rolling Stone.
- ↑ "The Fray - Mobile Uploads - Facebook". Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "The Song". Retrieved October 16, 2014.
- ↑ Ferner, Matt (October 28, 2013). "Colorado Flood Benefit Concert Raises Nearly $500K For Victims". Huffington Post. Retrieved November 29, 2013.
- ↑ "Nightline Playlist: The Fray". ABC News. August 16, 2007. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- 1 2 "The Top 10 Lead Singers by The Fray's Isaac Slade". aolradioblog.com. 30 September 2009. Retrieved 27 August 2012.