Earlier this year this blog’s arrow pointed towards fractures in the relationship between singer-songwriter Isaac Slade and his former band The Fray. That saga has another new wrinkle. A couple weeks back (or longer), current The Fray front man Joe King announced the launch of the How to Save a Life Foundation, an initiative focused on mental health advocacy and resources for adolescents. Pretty noble, eh? Absolutely. There can never be enough resources aimed to tackle adolescent mental health.

So why is this blog bringing attention to it? Good question. Allow an elucidation:

King apparently cites his writing of the song “How to Save a Life” and his time working through that album and song as the reason for the nonprofit venture. Except that story is not his, it’s Isaac’s story, and one Isaac has documented countless times over the course of his time with the band.

So why take credit for that story? That remains to be seen. But here’s one ugly theory: Joe King is attempting to take full ownership of The Fray and remove Isaac’s involvement as much as possible. And why is that? Heck if anyone knows, but one has to wonder if that that so-called amicable exit Isaac took from The Fray was not exactly amicable at all. Those mental health concerns Slade cited for calling it quits might have had more to do with Joe himself.

So why is this important? There’s legality involved here. And this feels a lot like what has happened with the band Live and its former front man Ed Kowalczyk. Or maybe it’s more like the great, albeit explosive History of the Eagles documentary, where Henley and the late Glenn Frey couldn’t be in the same room with each other. The days of VH1 Behind the Music are long since over, and The Fray is not exactly a radio heavyweight anymore, but as someone who has admired this band for two decades, it’s an interesting and unpleasant turn in a band whose squeaky-clean image has added a rather dark and unpleasant wrinkle.

And then there’s this. Earlier this March, The Fray released their first new album in over a decade, and it was a solid effort. Not an A+ by any stretch, but probably closer to a B or B-. Easily digestible, commercial pop that would do well at most outlets, and a far stronger album than their last effort, 2014’s Helios. Joe King’s voice is engaging, the guitars shimmer, the rhythm section is locked in, the keys and synths are well-placed. All of it is super endearing. Heck, this writer saw The Fray earlier this year in Orlando and waxed rhapsodic to friends and family about what a good show it was. Joe King is a dynamic frontman, and the concerts are more exciting, kinetic and palpable. The new songs sounded fantastic live.

And then there’s this. The band is at the tail end of the Summer of Light Tour with Dashboard Confessional while Isaac continues slowly and steadily charting a solo album. That record store he had on Vashon Island? It’s closed as of August 2025, online only. The marriage, which led him to Vashon Island, that’s over now too. Isaac appears to be starting over, while his three bandmates surge forward with a new beginning.

Is this Journey / Steve Perry 2.0? That remains to be seen, but as long as the How to Save a Life Foundation soldiers forward, one can’t always help but wonder, did Isaac sign off on that? The band and Isaac have made a habit of staying drama-free and above board for more than two decades. But under the surface, one has to wonder.

Only time will tell. Here’s hoping an amiable reconciliation and reconnection is in the works. Until then, pass the popcorn.