The Fray guitarist and songwriter Joe King is going solo (for a while, at least).
King’s first single “Need a Woman By Friday” hits iTunes today, and he talked with yahoo! music about his solo debut and what this means for the beloved band.
“I wrote the song last year on my birthday,” King told his, calling from the set of his music video shoot in New Orleans. “I had a birthday party coming up and I just had this sinking feeling of needing and wanting a woman at the party there waiting for me. The lyric popped into my head right before I left for the party.”
Unfortunately King says he did not find a woman by that Friday night (although he’s happily taken right now).
So what does this solo project mean for the Grammy nominated band The Fray? King revealed his the guys couldn’t be more supportive.
“I was incredibly nervous to play the single for them,” Joe said. “Finally I broke about a month ago. At the end of the song the guys just went ‘Damn.’ Ben stood up and started clapping. I was blown away with their reaction. Dave was just dead silent, because that’s just what he does. It was great.”
Like when any band member expresses interest in pursuing a solo project, there were a few concerns at first.
“Ben said he was just so relieved it didn’t sound exactly like The Fray. That was their only concern,” King said. “That happens a lot with solo projects, it blurs the lines a little bit. I’m glad there is a separation here.”
“Sonically, I approached production completely different from what I’ve always done,” continued King about his new album. “I didn’t want it to sound like a band. I started picking up different sounds and beats I had never recorded with.”
Oh, and for the record, The Fray are not breaking up.
“We are writing right now for our fourth record,” Joe said. “It feels great, we have a lot of new songs happening. Ideally that comes out later this year.”
Going solo also allows Joe King to work with some of his friends in the business. “Need a Woman By Friday” features Trombone Shorty, a collaboration that was in the works for years. King’s album will also feature on Bethany Kelly from the local Denver band Churchill, and he says he also has his sights set on working with “Anything Can Happen” singer Ellie Goulding.
Joe King has a few shows lined up around the Denver area next month. Check out the dates down below:
April 25: Bluebird Theater, Denver
April 26: Aggie Theatre, Fort Collins
April 27: Black Sheep, Colorado Springs
April 28: Fox Theatre, Boulder
“Need a Woman By Friday” is available on iTunes now. Check it out!