Frightened Rabbit Frontman Found Dead

Scott Hutchison, frontman for the sporadically brilliant Scottish band Frightened Rabbit, took his own life on May 9. The singer/songwriter/guitarist’s body was found a day after bandmates and family (drummer Grant Hutchison falls in both camps) issued desperate pleas for his whereabouts following an ominous Twitter post from Scott.

Hutchison frequently trafficked in dark lyrical terrain – the band’s most recent album, produced by The National’s Aaron Dessner, was 2016’s Painting of a Panic Attack. However he was a fairly jovial presence onstage, even when delivering songs like “The Modern Leper,” “State Hospital,” and “Swim Until You Can’t See Land.”

The 36-year-old seemingly had been in a good and active place of late. Earlier this year he and Grant teamed with members of Editors and Minor Victories, releasing an album as Mastersystem. And in February Frightened Rabbit completed a sold-out tour commemorating the 10th anniversary of The Midnight Organ Fight, their masterwork that earned its slot on several Best of the Millennium So Far shortlists – including mine.

Although Organ Fight is an anthemic yet harrowing breakup album, on the recent tour Hutchison good naturedly bantered, “It’s been ten years! I’ve moved on – you can too.” Sadly, apparently some demons proved harder to outrun.