With an awesome new single and an album on the way, The Fray is showing it used its three-year hiatus to weave together a new sound and grow as a band.

“Heartbeat” is a single from The Fray’s upcoming album _Scars and Stories_, which will hit stores Feb. 7. This track is a lot different from the band’s past songs on albums _How to Save a Life_ and _The Fray_ because its sound is a lot stronger. The band showed restraint in its first two albums, as if The Fray wasn’t fully ready to trust its abilities as musicians. With “Heartbeat,” the band has no restraints — with this song, The Fray has taken a whole new approach to its piano-based sound.

“Heartbeat” is a much more upbeat song for the band because it highlights guitar riffs and percussion. The single brings the band into a whole new dimension. 

As for the lyrics, with the strong voice of lead singer Isaac Slade, they’re just as passionate as past albums. The Fray has always been good at grabbing its fans’ attention through its lyrical talents and musical abilities. “Heartbeat” demonstrates this with powerful lyrics. With this single, The Fray shows how passionate it is about its music.

The source of this passion comes from very real experiences. According to the band’s website, an expatriate woman of Rwanda inspired Slade to write the lyrics of “Heartbeat.” He held hands with the woman while talking with her about the genocide the country endured. Slade felt connected with her and it seemed he could feel her heartbeat through her touch.

So keep an eye out for The Fray’s new album _Scars and Stories_. This album will be a symbol of evolution for The Fray.