Remembering Scott Hutchison

Scott Hutchison, lead singer of the Scottish folk group Frightened Rabbit tragically took his own life a few days ago, he was 36. Here’s guest writer Megan Casci to offer her thoughts on his talent and what it meant to her. 

Steve Jennings/WireImage

I didn’t expect the news of Scott Hutchison’s passing to affect me quite as much as it has. Then again, no one really expected the news of his passing at all. Maybe it was the unwanted build up since the news of his disappearance started circulating the internet early on Wednesday morning; the thought of him walking, alone, along a dark path near the river in the early hours or the fact his unidentified body washed up on the rocks a little further along. Or maybe it’s his already heartbreaking lyrics taking on a new, more sinister sentiment; “My enemy, please stay close to me/I’ve no breath left/the last taste of salt in my lungs”; “If I hadn’t come here to the coast to disappear/I may have died in a landslide of rocks and hopes and fears/; ‘I’ve got this disease I can’t shake/ and I’m just rattling through life; the sea has seen my like before/but it’s my first and perhaps last time”.

I’ve been a fan of Frightened Rabbit – a name that was unwittingly picked out by the bandmates’ mum as a nickname for Scott when he was an “almost chronically” shy child – for somewhere close to a decade. The band’s folksy take on rock with lyrics sang in Scott’s dulcet Scottish tones resonated with me throughout my early adulthood and since then. Listening to The Midnight Organ Fight transports me back in time. I have memories of belting out the chorus of The Modern Lepar. Fans at concerts chanting the line ‘I think I’ll save suicide for another year’ in triumphant solidarity at the singer overcoming past demons. The hauntingly titled Floating in the Forth asks ‘am i ready to leap, is it peace beneath?’, and at least we can find comfort in knowing he’s escaped those demons. 

One glance through the innumerable tributes is enough to show how much his lyrics, beautiful melodies and frank discussions about mental health helped so many people. I hope he knew how much he was loved and appreciated from close family to perfect strangers. He helped so many people; either those suffering as he did, or those of us whos formative years were chartered by his songs. As eloquently put by the man himself; “while I’m alive, I’ll make tiny changes to earth”. He’ll continue to.

RIP Scott Hutchison. Thanks for reading. 

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