Scott Hutchison - Frightened Rabbit (01/02/2013)
Releasing their fourth album, Pedestrian Verse, today, we chat with Scott Hutchison of Frightened Rabbit about their new album and being on the Groovin The Moo 2013 line-up.
Hello Scott, How are ya?
Hi, I’m great. How are you?
I’m good thanks, where are you calling from at the moment?
I’m in London, sort of doing the promo rounds this week in advance of the record so it’s been a busy hectic week here in London.
I actually just bought my ticket for Groovin’ the Moo this year which you guys were just announced to be playing at. Are you excited to be playing in Australia again and what are your impressions from previous visits?
We’ve always had a warm impression and it has always been one of our priorities to come back to Australia. It’s a really great festival; I think it has a fitting lineup. It’ll work for us and hopefully we will be able to meet some new fans as well. It’s always exciting. We have never actually done the whole touring and festival thing properly, so I can’t wait for it. Thank goodness we’re coming back, I’m really pleased.
I read on your Twitter that you favourite album of last year was Lonerism by Tame Impala. Are you looking forward to playing with them at Groovin’ the Moo?
Yeah, I’ve never seen them live. I got so into that record but never got the chance to go and see them. I’ve seen footage and stuff, and it looked very very impressive. I am excited at the prospect of maybe hearing them four of five times which is amazing.
You are about to go on a massive tour after your album launch for Pedestrian Verse, did you have a break over Christmas and New Years?
Yeah we had a good break. We did a tour up to the middle of November then November onwards I knew this was going to happen this- the whole juggernaut of the album was gonna take over my life so we all just sort of resolved to take some time off over Christmas. It was great! It’s probably the last time we are going to have a break for quite some time.
How was recording your last album Pedestrian Verse? Did you many things differently this time around?
We started writing music much more collaboratively. It used to be a solitary process for me to go away and write songs and the album. This time we didn’t do that, from the very outset we worked quite collaboratively. So it took a while for us to find our feet but once we found our stride it was an exciting process and I’d never go back to the old way of writing. Once we got into the studio continued that ethic and there are a lot of guts on the record, that became the bones of the songs. Again, this was new to us. There was an energy that you can’t get from just writing lyric upon lyric in the studio album form. It was a really exciting perfecting process for us this record.
I read that you were experimenting with minor keys in your song writing, how do you think this changed the mood of your music?
Yeah, it’s not like a revelation. It’s not like I invented the wheel I guess, but it was a big thing for us. I didn’t even realise it until I was looking back at what we had done in the past, what we had done wrong and that was one thing that struck me. I thought “fuck, I haven’t really written one”. I think it just brings out another colour the album, another shade. So, I guess other bands maybe scoff at the fact that this was a major step forward for us, it’s not rocket science including minor keys in your songs but it’s something that never occurred to me before. There is a couple of darker numbers in this one, definitely.
On your bio it said that you waited quite a while for Leo Abrahams to produce your music, how did you start working with him and what drew you to him and not somebody else?
Well we had already done a couple of tracks with him before he really committed to this full length. He knows us so well, he has an understanding of the music and knew what direction to take us in. He’s very open minded and very subtle in his approach. He took it and advanced it without removing the essential kind of energy and personality of the music. He was more of a really subtle filter of things. He showed restraint where we might not have ourselves and it was a really important roll and hopefully it works as one piece and not separate chunks. He was instrumental in that. I mean that this record feels like the start of the something and not the end.
You did some work with the Invisible Children back in 2011, what do you think about the "Kony 2012" campaign and did you think it would take off as much as it did?
Nah! We were working with them when it was still a fairly normal charity. We were doing something to reach a kinda… Indie music audience and spread the word! Then as everyone knows, it got really out of hand… and weird. Even for them it just went too far. I totally wish that charity all the best of luck, but we sorta started focusing on other charities that are closer to home for us. But I wish them the best with their campaign.
What other charities do you work with?
Now the charities we work with, actually the sole charity we work with is a charity that helps sufferers of an illness called Cystinosis, Grant (the drummer of the band) and I have a brother who has a daughter that suffers from it. That’s about the closest to home you can possibly get. It’s really important to us and we want to focus our attention upon that and try to raise awareness for it.
You guys and Biffy Clyro have been really successful overseas. How is the Scottish music scene? Do you think more Scottish bands will take off internationally soon?
Yeah, it’s always happening! There’s always something new in Scotland, something creative. The hub is Glasgow but also to a lesser extent Edinburgh. But there is always something going on. There is a band called Church who are starting to make a lot of ways. They came out of nowhere towards the end or middle of last year. I always feel like my fingers way off the pulse, I don’t really know what the bubbling under acts are because I’m not there often enough. It’s all really exciting, and I am very excited to see who Scotland does produce next and wiggles their way around the world.
The Scottish accent is really obvious in your music, I know many other bands lose their singing accent on purpose to reach more of an audience. Is this something you thought about, and what do you think about other bands doing this?
Yeah, I think that seems to me that it comes across a bit funny. If your music is honest and the lyrics are from the personal experience, it seems odd that you would want to adopt someone else’s accent. The reason I sing in my own accent in my accent – it wasn’t really a decision. I’m singing, for the most part anyway, in past records about myself. About my own life. It seems really odd to adopt another singing accent. I think it’s a bit distancing. I can’t connect quite in the same way, as if there is a colloquialism involved with it. It’s happening more in Scotland. I think the Scottish accent and the Scottish language is important.
What are you going to do until Groovin’ the Moo? Is the tour all that’s gonna happen till then?
Yeah, that’s pretty much it. Groovin’ the Moo is packed onto the end of the U.S tour. We have a week and a half maybe before we start playing in Australia, so we are hoping we can make it sort a holiday. By the time we get to Groovin’ the Moo, we should be very good at playing these songs (laughs).
This will be my last question because of the time limit, but what are you gonna do to keep the music fresh because it’s gonna be a very long tour for you guys? Are you gonna change up the setlist at all, or do you have anything in particular to keep yourself interested and motivated?
Naturally, just us being inquisitive and trying to develop the music further after it’s been produced and on the record. New songs do develop but sometimes you just get bored, bored at playing the same songs every night. We have a backpack of songs we can call upon that we can mix up each night so when we come back to them they feel fresh. Another thing that keeps it fresh, keeps it exciting is that you are playing to a fresh batch of people every night. That keeps it excited for me, because these people are investing in the experience and it’s difficult not to get caught up in that. It’s the whole reason we do it ya know.
Thanks very much for chatting with me, I know your busy and I’ll let you go.
Alright man, cheers!
And I’ll see you at Groovin’ the Moo!
See you there, bye!
Ryan Hyde
Hello Scott, How are ya?
Hi, I’m great. How are you?
I’m good thanks, where are you calling from at the moment?
I’m in London, sort of doing the promo rounds this week in advance of the record so it’s been a busy hectic week here in London.
I actually just bought my ticket for Groovin’ the Moo this year which you guys were just announced to be playing at. Are you excited to be playing in Australia again and what are your impressions from previous visits?
We’ve always had a warm impression and it has always been one of our priorities to come back to Australia. It’s a really great festival; I think it has a fitting lineup. It’ll work for us and hopefully we will be able to meet some new fans as well. It’s always exciting. We have never actually done the whole touring and festival thing properly, so I can’t wait for it. Thank goodness we’re coming back, I’m really pleased.
I read on your Twitter that you favourite album of last year was Lonerism by Tame Impala. Are you looking forward to playing with them at Groovin’ the Moo?
Yeah, I’ve never seen them live. I got so into that record but never got the chance to go and see them. I’ve seen footage and stuff, and it looked very very impressive. I am excited at the prospect of maybe hearing them four of five times which is amazing.
You are about to go on a massive tour after your album launch for Pedestrian Verse, did you have a break over Christmas and New Years?
Yeah we had a good break. We did a tour up to the middle of November then November onwards I knew this was going to happen this- the whole juggernaut of the album was gonna take over my life so we all just sort of resolved to take some time off over Christmas. It was great! It’s probably the last time we are going to have a break for quite some time.
How was recording your last album Pedestrian Verse? Did you many things differently this time around?
We started writing music much more collaboratively. It used to be a solitary process for me to go away and write songs and the album. This time we didn’t do that, from the very outset we worked quite collaboratively. So it took a while for us to find our feet but once we found our stride it was an exciting process and I’d never go back to the old way of writing. Once we got into the studio continued that ethic and there are a lot of guts on the record, that became the bones of the songs. Again, this was new to us. There was an energy that you can’t get from just writing lyric upon lyric in the studio album form. It was a really exciting perfecting process for us this record.
I read that you were experimenting with minor keys in your song writing, how do you think this changed the mood of your music?
Yeah, it’s not like a revelation. It’s not like I invented the wheel I guess, but it was a big thing for us. I didn’t even realise it until I was looking back at what we had done in the past, what we had done wrong and that was one thing that struck me. I thought “fuck, I haven’t really written one”. I think it just brings out another colour the album, another shade. So, I guess other bands maybe scoff at the fact that this was a major step forward for us, it’s not rocket science including minor keys in your songs but it’s something that never occurred to me before. There is a couple of darker numbers in this one, definitely.
On your bio it said that you waited quite a while for Leo Abrahams to produce your music, how did you start working with him and what drew you to him and not somebody else?
Well we had already done a couple of tracks with him before he really committed to this full length. He knows us so well, he has an understanding of the music and knew what direction to take us in. He’s very open minded and very subtle in his approach. He took it and advanced it without removing the essential kind of energy and personality of the music. He was more of a really subtle filter of things. He showed restraint where we might not have ourselves and it was a really important roll and hopefully it works as one piece and not separate chunks. He was instrumental in that. I mean that this record feels like the start of the something and not the end.
You did some work with the Invisible Children back in 2011, what do you think about the "Kony 2012" campaign and did you think it would take off as much as it did?
Nah! We were working with them when it was still a fairly normal charity. We were doing something to reach a kinda… Indie music audience and spread the word! Then as everyone knows, it got really out of hand… and weird. Even for them it just went too far. I totally wish that charity all the best of luck, but we sorta started focusing on other charities that are closer to home for us. But I wish them the best with their campaign.
What other charities do you work with?
Now the charities we work with, actually the sole charity we work with is a charity that helps sufferers of an illness called Cystinosis, Grant (the drummer of the band) and I have a brother who has a daughter that suffers from it. That’s about the closest to home you can possibly get. It’s really important to us and we want to focus our attention upon that and try to raise awareness for it.
You guys and Biffy Clyro have been really successful overseas. How is the Scottish music scene? Do you think more Scottish bands will take off internationally soon?
Yeah, it’s always happening! There’s always something new in Scotland, something creative. The hub is Glasgow but also to a lesser extent Edinburgh. But there is always something going on. There is a band called Church who are starting to make a lot of ways. They came out of nowhere towards the end or middle of last year. I always feel like my fingers way off the pulse, I don’t really know what the bubbling under acts are because I’m not there often enough. It’s all really exciting, and I am very excited to see who Scotland does produce next and wiggles their way around the world.
The Scottish accent is really obvious in your music, I know many other bands lose their singing accent on purpose to reach more of an audience. Is this something you thought about, and what do you think about other bands doing this?
Yeah, I think that seems to me that it comes across a bit funny. If your music is honest and the lyrics are from the personal experience, it seems odd that you would want to adopt someone else’s accent. The reason I sing in my own accent in my accent – it wasn’t really a decision. I’m singing, for the most part anyway, in past records about myself. About my own life. It seems really odd to adopt another singing accent. I think it’s a bit distancing. I can’t connect quite in the same way, as if there is a colloquialism involved with it. It’s happening more in Scotland. I think the Scottish accent and the Scottish language is important.
What are you going to do until Groovin’ the Moo? Is the tour all that’s gonna happen till then?
Yeah, that’s pretty much it. Groovin’ the Moo is packed onto the end of the U.S tour. We have a week and a half maybe before we start playing in Australia, so we are hoping we can make it sort a holiday. By the time we get to Groovin’ the Moo, we should be very good at playing these songs (laughs).
This will be my last question because of the time limit, but what are you gonna do to keep the music fresh because it’s gonna be a very long tour for you guys? Are you gonna change up the setlist at all, or do you have anything in particular to keep yourself interested and motivated?
Naturally, just us being inquisitive and trying to develop the music further after it’s been produced and on the record. New songs do develop but sometimes you just get bored, bored at playing the same songs every night. We have a backpack of songs we can call upon that we can mix up each night so when we come back to them they feel fresh. Another thing that keeps it fresh, keeps it exciting is that you are playing to a fresh batch of people every night. That keeps it excited for me, because these people are investing in the experience and it’s difficult not to get caught up in that. It’s the whole reason we do it ya know.
Thanks very much for chatting with me, I know your busy and I’ll let you go.
Alright man, cheers!
And I’ll see you at Groovin’ the Moo!
See you there, bye!
Ryan Hyde