Thoughts on the tragic loss of Scott Hutchison

I’ve been trying to think all day of how to put in to words how I feel about the tragic loss of Scott Hutchison. In terms of losing musicians, though he may not be spoken of in the same terms, this is the most devastated I’ve felt about the loss of a musician whose work I love since the loss of Prince, Bowie or Strummer. 

I was introduced to Frightened Rabbit about eight years ago by a mate whilst we were perusing the sale selection in HMV, something which seems ancient now that I can’t remember the last time I played a cd and the same one has stayed in my car player and everything is played through Spotify. 

The third album, The Winter Of Mixed Drinks was on sale, and they were just getting ready to release Pedestrian Verse. It was sold to me on the brilliance of the lyrics and on listening to it I was hooked.

Over the next few weeks I bought every other album; The Midnight Organ Fight, Liver! Lung! FR!, the sometimes derided by the band Sing The Greys and, when it was released, my favourite album they ever released, Pedestrian Verse (“A slipped disc in the spine of community” and “her heart beats like a breeze block thrown down the stairs” from the lead single are still brilliantly evocative lyrics) 

Soon after Pedestrian Verse was released, the same friend who introduced me bought us tickets to go see Frightened Rabbit live in Birmingham. 

The stage was set out with the huge cross that they used at that time as a back drop and songs like The Woodpile and Keep Yourself Warm felt like hymns, with the congregation in the library singing together.

Years later when I met my now wife, one of the first gifts she bought me were tickets to see them again at Southampton University.

Again, when The Woodpile was played, the congregation sang along. Pedestrian Verse live in a small space sent shivers up the spine. When introducing Music Now, Scott mentioned about it being from the first album and that we had probably never heard it. I remember shouting out that I had the album and had heard it. The main memory of the night though was a brilliant version of Fuck This Place. 

At that first gig, I saw a t shirt with an open heart on it. At that second gig, my wife bought me it. In many ways that summarises what Scott did with Frightened Rabbit, that open heart, baring your soul lyricism. 

Though the t shirt is looking a little bit worn now, the memories of the gigs, the memories of first listening to Frightened Rabbit and all that open hearted music remain.

Thank you Scott.