The Frst

The Frst (pronounced “first”) is an American indie rock musical project founded by singer and guitarist Mikei Gray in Nashville, Tennessee.

in 2017. The project’s contributors consist of Gray and a rotating lineup of guest musicians, which has included Kellin Quinn & Matty Best of Sleeping With Sirens, Jaret Reddick of Bowling For Soup, Aaron Gillespie of The Almost, Andrew Leahey, and Taking Back Sunday’s touring musician Nathan Cogan amongst others.

Their best known song is “Bruce Lee” which reached #29 on the iTunes Top 100 Rock Chart. followed by “Tarantino” which reached #78 on the same chart and #1 at KXFM. They had two other songs on SoundCloud USA Rock charts: "Ammo” which reached #1 and “Seven Eleven” which reached #2.

History

Before forming The Frst, Gray had toured as an opening act for artists such as Sublime with Rome, Village People, Florida Georgia Line, and Portugal. The Man, playing in venues such as the Vans Warped Tour and the Grand Ole Opry. Gray founded The Frst in 2017, changing the spelling of the project’s name to reflect its collaborative nature and changing lineup.

The Frst released its debut single, “Another One” in 2018.

In 2019, the project also released several singles, including “Cycles,” “Seven Eleven,” “Rules,” and  “Ammo.” “Seven Eleven” reached #2 on the SoundCloud USA Rock chart and was also featured on Loudwire’s Weekly Wire. "Ammo” reached #1 on the SoundCloud USA Rock chart.

The Frst also released the singles “Pawn Shop,”  “Simulation,” and “Tarantino” in 2020. “Tarantino” reached #78 on the iTunes Top 100 Rock Chart and #1 at KXFM. “Simulation” was released alongside the augmented reality phone app called “The Frst,” which allowed users to scan The Frst’s logo for behind-the-scenes content.

In August 2020, The Frst released its debut album, Prelude. Gray wrote and performed seven of the ten songs on Prelude by himself. The Frst also released the single “Duh<nowiki></nowiki> concurrently with the album, which reached #3 on the SoundCloud USA Rock Chart.

In July 23, 2022, The Frst released a new single called Geronimo. The track features Just a Ride & Solcura.

Starting February 2024, The Frst released several songs including “Torpedo (feat. The Dangerous Summer)”, “Almost There” with Jaret Reddick of Bowling For Soup, “Medicated Kisses,” a rap-rock collaboration featuring Obie Trice and Bizarre of D12, and “Love In 3D,” featuring Craig Owens of Chiodos, Aaron Gillespie of The Almost and Underoath, and Kellin Quinn.“Love in 3D” was released in November, with EarMilk stating, " ‘Love In 3D’ feels like a joyful message from the exciting days of the Vans Warped Tour, placed into a beautiful dreamland inspired by anime.”