“Funny” probably isn’t the first adjective I’d use to describe the jangling frown-pop of Frightened Rabbit. But when I sat down to talk with frontman Scott Hutchinson before the band’s stellar set at the Horseshoe Tavern, he welcomed the seemingly odd label with open arms: “Some people come up and tell me, and they’re not trying to be offensive – they’re trying to compliment me – by saying that they find our music funny.” Wondering where the comedy is? It might be hard to find amidst the anguish of an album like The Midnight Organ Fight, an earnest, unflattering depiction of heartbreak and sex and heartbreaking sex, but it’s there… even if us non-Europeans aren’t getting the joke.
Belle and Sebastian. Malcolm Middleton. Camera Obscura. Frightened Rabbit. Aside from and possibly because of the fact that they’re all Scots, these bands share another commonality: at the exposed heart of each group’s sound is a signature contradiction of heavy lyrics set to undeniably catchy instrumentals. Cue the laugh track. “There’s a black sense of humour which is absolutely Scottish,” explains Hutchinson. “[It's] not even British, actually. It’s very specific. It’s like we’re just the underdog. Every time. In terms of sport, in terms of just… I don’t know, the rest of the world. It’s like a small country that kicks hard. You know, making light of extreme pain is quite a Scottish thing to do.”
Hutchinson clearly finds this cultural quirk appealing and is upfront about how the band deliberately incorporates the sonic disparity of happy/sad into their music. He openly admits that it was a “modus operandi from the start” to make use of this contradiction: “It’s an open door. And then you walk into the song and it sounds kind of immediately safe and easy. And then all of a sudden you’re hit with this, like, fairly bleak, dark, heavy imagery and it’s a shock.” Anyone who has taken even the most casual of listens to Frightened Rabbit will understand the weighty imagery Hutchinson is talking about. With Midnight Organ Fight’s frequent lyrical cameos of leprosy and other bloody, infectious things, Hutchinson aimed to paint a recognizable portrait of a relationship literally and figuratively on its last leg. “Everyone has a body and understands that feeling.” he says of using the human form as a metaphor for a disintegrating romantic bond. “And it’s much simpler than an emotional kind of study.”
**
That being said, fans of the rotting-from-the-inside-out lyrical content might be disappointed to hear that bodies will be a bit more… intact on the upcoming Frightened Rabbit release. “The reason for the disease thing [on Midnight Organ Fight] was it was like a heartache involved in there. Um… I don’t know if you noticed that,” he quips. “It’s kind of – it’s totally obvious. But this time ’round, I am thankful to say that since that record has come out, there has been none of that. I had to change my tactic a little bit.” Given that heartache seems to be the fuel Organ Fight thrived on, fans may be wondering what will fill the tank on the upcoming album. I shall quell your curiosity and adhere to this ridiculous fuel analogy. You ready for this? The next Frightened Rabbit album will be an eco-friendly vessel; it’s running on water.
“It seems to go on deeper into the ocean and metaphors,” says Hutchinson of the next Frightened Rabbit album. But don’t count on a straight up ode to the sea. “I tried to steer away from making it too concept album-y, but I kind of like records where there’s a recurring theme.” Because of this and also because of his desire to “create a body of work that makes sense”, Hutchinson made a point of including references to the last album on this new, fully-recorded but not (as of the interview) fully mixed or titled album. “Um– I can’t– I know– no,” Hutchinson finally concludes when I ask if the album has a title. “I’m not just being cagey!” he offers. “I’m kind of annoyed. It’s keeping me awake at night. I don’t have one. I have maybe ten options and none of them seem to be working yet.” One such option for the record’s name is the first song that he wrote for the album, “<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5YxtPpMMHs>Swim Until You Can’t See Land</link>”, but I make no promises as to this being the eventual title.
As for the upcoming record’s sound, I’ll leave it to Hutchinson to describe: “Sonically it’s much more layered. It was a really quick process the last time with Midnight Organ Fight. And [there] was a lot of stuff that I didn’t have time to get on there. Budget-wise it was a much smaller thing, so it was a total rush. This time it was like… you know we were still working solid all day, but it felt a lot more relaxed and I can safely say that it’s all on there this time. And although I wouldn’t say it’s become overblown and orchestral, it’s certainly much more how I always wanted the band to sound,” he explains. “It’s a departure from us sounding like a four-piece guitar band. There are samples and loops led and synthesized sounds. It’s not electronic! We’re trying to go for more of like a Brian Eno, Sigur Rós type soundscape. And yeah, I think it’s got more muscle and it’s going to be slightly more dramatic.”
Hutchinson has obvious frustrations with Frightened Rabbit’s previous release, and though he certainly isn’t unhappy with how the songs turned out (he mentions a couple times that he is “pleased” with them), it seems to be a case of unfulfilled expectations. “It just didn’t quite match up to what was playing like in my head. It was always disappointing.” Thankfully, he seems to be feeling much more optimistic about the new album: “This one is matching up to how it played in my head. It’s the first time ever.”
Rabid Rabbit fans can expect a new song or two to come out towards the end of this year, while the album will be fully released at the beginning of 2010. And after the overwhelming, near-worship reception the band got at their sold out Toronto show, I can only hope they’ve been encouraged make more frequent hops over the pond. I’d like to think that the hard-kicking, small-country’d lads of Frightened Rabbit have found our expanse of Canadian soil to be a softer landing.
(P.S. If Scott Hutchinson were a singing animal, he’d be an owl because he’d “rather be out and about at night-time.” Fair enough, sir.)
**
At this point in the interview, I decide to put my first-year English course to work and mention that in t.s. eliot’s The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock, eliot had a similar tendency to focus in on parts of the body as opposed to the body as a whole, and (theoretically) did so because of a (theoretical) fear of intimacy. “I see,” replies Hutchinson. He then takes a moment to mull over the observation, and in the small silence I shift from a) satisfaction at being able to actually apply my debt-laden arts education to the real world, on to b) slight anxiety at the subtly confused expression on his face, and finally to c) self-loathing at my pretentious and far-reaching conclusions. Drawing abstract comparisons between pop music and t.s. eliot? Who do I think I am? I realize that Scott Hutchinson of Frightened Rabbit probably hates me now. He is disgusted by my ignorance. He is insulted by my very presence. And then. He speaks. “I mean it may come from that kind of… maybe… looking into it… maybe it does come from that! Kind of the social awkwardness of like… staring at someone’s knee for a conversation…” My question sheet has been covering my knee, so I move it aside in an accommodating sort of way. And he laughs. I take a hesitant peek out from under the disgraced rock I have taken social refuge beneath. Alas, I have not died of embarrassment and shall live to interview another day. The end!
Frightened Rabbit
“Funny” probably isn’t the first adjective I’d use to describe the jangling frown-pop of Frightened Rabbit. But when I sat down to talk with frontman Scott Hutchinson before the band’s stellar set at the Horseshoe Tavern, he welcomed the seemingly odd label with open arms: “Some people come up and tell me, and they’re not trying to be offensive – they’re trying to compliment me – by saying that they find our music funny.” Wondering where the comedy is? It might be hard to find amidst the anguish of an album like The Midnight Organ Fight, an earnest, unflattering depiction of heartbreak and sex and heartbreaking sex, but it’s there… even if us non-Europeans aren’t getting the joke.
Belle and Sebastian. Malcolm Middleton. Camera Obscura. Frightened Rabbit. Aside from and possibly because of the fact that they’re all Scots, these bands share another commonality: at the exposed heart of each group’s sound is a signature contradiction of heavy lyrics set to undeniably catchy instrumentals. Cue the laugh track. “There’s a black sense of humour which is absolutely Scottish,” explains Hutchinson. “[It's] not even British, actually. It’s very specific. It’s like we’re just the underdog. Every time. In terms of sport, in terms of just… I don’t know, the rest of the world. It’s like a small country that kicks hard. You know, making light of extreme pain is quite a Scottish thing to do.”
Hutchinson clearly finds this cultural quirk appealing and is upfront about how the band deliberately incorporates the sonic disparity of happy/sad into their music. He openly admits that it was a “modus operandi from the start” to make use of this contradiction: “It’s an open door. And then you walk into the song and it sounds kind of immediately safe and easy. And then all of a sudden you’re hit with this, like, fairly bleak, dark, heavy imagery and it’s a shock.” Anyone who has taken even the most casual of listens to Frightened Rabbit will understand the weighty imagery Hutchinson is talking about. With Midnight Organ Fight’s frequent lyrical cameos of leprosy and other bloody, infectious things, Hutchinson aimed to paint a recognizable portrait of a relationship literally and figuratively on its last leg. “Everyone has a body and understands that feeling.” he says of using the human form as a metaphor for a disintegrating romantic bond. “And it’s much simpler than an emotional kind of study.”
**
That being said, fans of the rotting-from-the-inside-out lyrical content might be disappointed to hear that bodies will be a bit more… intact on the upcoming Frightened Rabbit release. “The reason for the disease thing [on Midnight Organ Fight] was it was like a heartache involved in there. Um… I don’t know if you noticed that,” he quips. “It’s kind of – it’s totally obvious. But this time ’round, I am thankful to say that since that record has come out, there has been none of that. I had to change my tactic a little bit.” Given that heartache seems to be the fuel Organ Fight thrived on, fans may be wondering what will fill the tank on the upcoming album. I shall quell your curiosity and adhere to this ridiculous fuel analogy. You ready for this? The next Frightened Rabbit album will be an eco-friendly vessel; it’s running on water.
“It seems to go on deeper into the ocean and metaphors,” says Hutchinson of the next Frightened Rabbit album. But don’t count on a straight up ode to the sea. “I tried to steer away from making it too concept album-y, but I kind of like records where there’s a recurring theme.” Because of this and also because of his desire to “create a body of work that makes sense”, Hutchinson made a point of including references to the last album on this new, fully-recorded but not (as of the interview) fully mixed or titled album. “Um– I can’t– I know– no,” Hutchinson finally concludes when I ask if the album has a title. “I’m not just being cagey!” he offers. “I’m kind of annoyed. It’s keeping me awake at night. I don’t have one. I have maybe ten options and none of them seem to be working yet.” One such option for the record’s name is the first song that he wrote for the album, “Swim Until You Can’t See Land“, but I make no promises as to this being the eventual title.
As for the upcoming record’s sound, I’ll leave it to Hutchinson to describe: “Sonically it’s much more layered. It was a really quick process the last time with Midnight Organ Fight. And [there] was a lot of stuff that I didn’t have time to get on there. Budget-wise it was a much smaller thing, so it was a total rush. This time it was like… you know we were still working solid all day, but it felt a lot more relaxed and I can safely say that it’s all on there this time. And although I wouldn’t say it’s become overblown and orchestral, it’s certainly much more how I always wanted the band to sound,” he explains. “It’s a departure from us sounding like a four-piece guitar band. There are samples and loops led and synthesized sounds. It’s not electronic! We’re trying to go for more of like a Brian Eno, Sigur Rós type soundscape. And yeah, I think it’s got more muscle and it’s going to be slightly more dramatic.”
Hutchinson has obvious frustrations with Frightened Rabbit’s previous release, and though he certainly isn’t unhappy with how the songs turned out (he mentions a couple times that he is “pleased” with them), it seems to be a case of unfulfilled expectations. “It just didn’t quite match up to what was playing like in my head. It was always disappointing.” Thankfully, he seems to be feeling much more optimistic about the new album: “This one is matching up to how it played in my head. It’s the first time ever.”
Rabid Rabbit fans can expect a new song or two to come out towards the end of this year, while the album will be fully released at the beginning of 2010. And after the overwhelming, near-worship reception the band got at their sold out Toronto show, I can only hope they’ve been encouraged make more frequent hops over the pond. I’d like to think that the hard-kicking, small-country’d lads of Frightened Rabbit have found our expanse of Canadian soil to be a softer landing.
(P.S. If Scott Hutchinson were a singing animal, he’d be an owl because he’d “rather be out and about at night-time.” Fair enough, sir.)
**
At this point in the interview, I decide to put my first-year English course to work and mention that in t.s. eliot’s The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock, eliot had a similar tendency to focus in on parts of the body as opposed to the body as a whole, and (theoretically) did so because of a (theoretical) fear of intimacy. “I see,” replies Hutchinson. He then takes a moment to mull over the observation, and in the small silence I shift from a) satisfaction at being able to actually apply my debt-laden arts education to the real world, on to b) slight anxiety at the subtly confused expression on his face, and finally to c) self-loathing at my pretentious and far-reaching conclusions. Drawing abstract comparisons between pop music and t.s. eliot? Who do I think I am? I realize that Scott Hutchinson of Frightened Rabbit probably hates me now. He is disgusted by my ignorance. He is insulted by my very presence. And then. He speaks. “I mean it may come from that kind of… maybe… looking into it… maybe it does come from that! Kind of the social awkwardness of like… staring at someone’s knee for a conversation…” My question sheet has been covering my knee, so I move it aside in an accommodating sort of way. And he laughs. I take a hesitant peek out from under the disgraced rock I have taken social refuge beneath. Alas, I have not died of embarrassment and shall live to interview another day. The end!
For more Frightened Rabbit,
MySpace
