The Bert Show: Vault — The Fray Joins The Show

Date: March 19, 2026
Guests: The Fray (Isaac, Joe, Dave, Ben)
Hosts: The Bert Show Cast (Bert, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy, and team)

Episode Overview

This special episode features the band The Fray joining The Bert Show for an in-studio performance and candid interview. The hosts and listeners welcome the band for a private, VIP set and an honest conversation about life on the road, songwriting, the realities of the music industry, relationships, and the journey from their early days to hitting it big. The Fray also performs live renditions of songs from their new and previous albums, delivers personal stories, and gives insight into the behind-the-scenes life of a successful band.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Band Introduction & Atmosphere

• The show sets the mood, joking about the excitement in the building and how staff suddenly want to hang out when The Fray arrives (01:15).
• The band members are described as clean-cut, down-to-earth, and not involved in celebrity drama (01:43).

  "They're about music… dedicated to the music, and I think their fans follow them because of that." — Host (01:59)

2. Life as a Touring Band

• The band reflects on good and bad nights performing, comparing their dynamic to that of the radio show’s own off and on days (03:25).

  "There are some days that we just all suck." — Bert, Host (03:34)

• Notable story about their show at Red Rocks in Denver, performing in the rain, covering instruments to avoid electric shocks, and feeling great synergy (04:09).
• The band used to videotape their shows to critique, but late-night fatigue meant it rarely happened (04:54).

3. Impact of the Music Industry & Touring on Family Life

• Discussion about constantly being on tour due to changes in the music industry (05:25).
• Balancing family and touring: Early days were financially tough and required long absences from home (06:08).

  "First like two years…having to ask for a loan to pay your bills…you’re gone for like, you know, a month at a time." — The Fray (06:08)

• Now, the band schedules definite blocks to balance work and time at home (06:38).
• Spouses sometimes join them on the road, though it can be boring for them (07:10).
• The emotional challenge of missing family and the blessing of having supportive partners (07:39).

  "I wish I was single…because you wouldn't have anybody to miss, you know? But then…wouldn't have anybody to go home to either." — The Fray (07:48)

4. Live Performance: "You Found Me"

• The Fray performs "You Found Me" live in-studio (08:27–12:14).
• The passionate, stripped-down performance sets a reflective, emotive tone.

5. Songwriting, Hits, and Vulnerability

• The band is asked whether they know when they've written a hit; "How to Save a Life" and "Over My Head" were uncomfortable to write because of vulnerability (12:14).

  "It's like imagining walking into a Starbucks and being like, hello, everyone, I'd like to tell you all about the things that I don't know." — The Fray (12:36)

• Songwriting is a collaborative but messy process, compared to collecting scraps in a "junkyard" and assembling them into something cohesive (13:34).

  "We have a bunch of little snippets—it's like a junkyard…we just walk around, this looks like a good piece of bumper…" — The Fray (13:34)

• They handle creative disagreements diplomatically and sometimes resolve conflicts with a vote or even rock-paper-scissors (14:25).

6. Naming and Making the New Album

• Choosing the album title: Producer suggested self-titling after the band couldn't pick among several options (14:46).
• Band recalls pre-fame days and the stress/excitement of getting signed; likened to a high school football recruit being courted by colleges (15:04–17:06).
• Humorous story about being courted by record labels, and their "food guy" prioritizing a great dinner spot over business (16:34).
• Reflect on this era as both stressful and thrilling, with the gravity of picking the right label (17:12).

7. Live Performance: "Never Say Never"

• The Fray performs "Never Say Never" live (17:49–21:48), again showcasing their signature emotive, melodic style.

8. Relationships, Valentine's Day, and Misconceptions

• Discussion about whether being in a band makes Valentine's easy—joke that all they need to do is be home, not write songs (22:07–23:04).

  "I think…for Valentine's and stuff, we just have to be home. I think that makes all the difference." — The Fray (22:58) "So the bar isn’t set high. It’s pretty low, actually." — The Fray (23:01)

9. On Nerves and Star Encounters

• Band shares moments of feeling nervous at awards shows; highlights singing (and awkward dancing) with Stevie Wonder and John Legend, not knowing the song, and discovering afterward the mic wasn’t turned on (23:28–24:18).

  "Thank God Stevie couldn't see me…your mic was not even turned on. You are so white." — The Fray (24:13)

10. The New Album: Process, Finishing, and Anticipation

• Artistic growth: The new album has more dynamic range, with softer parts being even softer, and big moments bigger (24:23).
• Finality of finishing an album is elusive—last note is played, but post-production drags on and sometimes late additions make or miss the cut (25:05).
• Out of ~20 initial tracks, about 10 make the album; the rest didn’t fit or “fell apart in the studio” (25:56).

  "I remember playing the last note…thought it was going to be over. And then there was like six months of mixing and mastering." — The Fray (25:15)

• The day the album releases is both exciting and exhausting; one member describes buying their album in Best Buy and quietly waiting for the sales texts (26:44).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Classic Band Realness:

  "We're not very good at the whole what's gonna work at radio thing…" — The Fray, on predicting hits (12:36)

• On Songwriting:

  "We have a bunch of little snippets…it's like a junkyard…" — The Fray (13:34)

• Band Diplomacy:

  "We are in perfect unison, liar, like four swabs." — The Fray (14:12)

• Family & Touring:

  "I wish I was single…because you wouldn't have anybody to miss, you know?" — The Fray (07:39)

• About Stage Nerves:

  "Thank God Stevie couldn't see me…your mic was not even turned on. You are so white." — The Fray (24:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:15] — Introduction to The Fray and industry reputation
• [04:09] — Band’s synergy and the Red Rocks rain show story
• [05:25] — Touring's impact on band members' families
• [08:27] — Live performance: "You Found Me"
• [12:14] — On writing and recognizing a hit song
• [13:34] — Songwriting process as a group
• [14:46] — Naming the new album
• [17:49] — Live performance: "Never Say Never"
• [22:07] — Valentine’s Day and romantic expectations
• [23:28] — Performing in front of Stevie Wonder and John Legend
• [24:23] — The making and anticipation of the new album
• [25:56] — How many songs actually make the record
• [26:44] — Album release morning and excitement

Episode Tone & Takeaways

The Bert Show and The Fray create a laid-back, humorous, and honest environment. The band emerges as grounded and self-effacing, valuing family, creative vulnerability, and collective diplomacy over stardom or drama. The episode offers not just great live music but rare insight into the balancing act between success, relationships, and staying true to the music.

Useful for:

• Fans curious about The Fray’s dynamic and creative process
• Listeners interested in the realities of the modern music industry
• Anyone seeking candid, human stories from well-known artists