Frightened Rabbit

Frightened Rabbit

Frightened Rabbit is a Scottish indie rock group that forms in 2003 and is active to the present day. It originates in Selkirk, United Kingdom, and begins as a solo project for Scott Hutchison before developing into a full band.

Formation and line-up

Scott Hutchison starts performing solo under the name Frightened Rabbit in 2003, often while supporting fellow art-school band Shitdisco. Early recordings are made on a Tascam 4-track, with Hutchison playing all the instruments himself. In 2004 his brother Grant Hutchison moves to Glasgow and contributes drums on recorded tracks and in live performances. The line-up later expands with Billy Kennedy on guitar and keyboards, and Andy Monaghan on guitar and keyboards. Gordon Skene joins in November 2009 after previously being in Make Model, and leaves the band in 2014. The members listed for the group also include Simon Liddell.

Sound and early releases

The band develops from lo-fi solo recordings into a louder, more fully formed live group. Its early demos are sparse and rough in production, but already show a strong sense of melody and a clear songwriting style. After a later demo is sent to labels, three tracks appear on FatCat’s MP3 and demo site, beginning a long association with the label. In 2006 Billy Kennedy joins, making the group “a wee bit better and louder still” in its own terms. That February the band records material at The Diving Bell Lounge studio in Glasgow with producer Marcus Mackay. What begins as a better-quality demo becomes the debut album Sing the Greys, pressed in 1,000 copies and first released on the homegrown label Hits The Fan before being remastered by Alan Douches and reissued by FatCat in 2007.

Albums and recorded work

Frightened Rabbit releases five albums: Sing the Greys in 2006, The Midnight Organ Fight in 2008, The Winter of Mixed Drinks in 2010, Pedestrian Verse in 2013, and Painting of a Panic Attack in 2016. The Midnight Organ Fight is recorded by Peter Katis over two weeks and mixed over the next fortnight, with an aim of creating a more coherent pop-oriented record while keeping the directness and emotion of the earlier work. A live version of the album, Liver! Lung! Fr!, is recorded in Glasgow and mixed by Adam Pierce of Mice Parade, using stripped-down arrangements that bring Scott Hutchison’s vocals and lyrics to the front. The band also releases the single “Be Less Rude” alongside the reissue of Sing the Greys, and the Christmas single “It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop” at the end of 2007.

Live activity and later history

The group builds a reputation as a strong live act and tours after its early releases, including a short and successful US run that ends with a sold-out show at New York’s Mercury Lounge before Sing the Greys is available in the United States. Scott Hutchison dies in May 2018, and the band breaks up after his death.

Style and genre

Frightened Rabbit is associated with indie rock, folk, and related acoustic and indie-pop forms. Its listed genres include acoustic rock, chamber pop, folk, folk rock, indie folk, and indie pop.