Frightened Rabbit the band is called, suggesting that perhaps all of the five members of the Scottish band are easily spooked.
But it’s only founder Scott Hutchison, whose mother called him that (no doubt with complete affection), due to his chronic shyness, in his youth in Selkirk, Scotland.
Luckily for Hutchison, the name has been something of a blessing, or at least a memorable moniker that fans have found appealing. Or maybe it was the biscuits sent out to promote the band’s early recordings. (What, are there no carrots in Scotland?)
When the biscuits arrived as bags of crumbs in the United States in 2003, it was just one more way for folks to remember the band with the cute name.
Hutchison had intended to make his band a solo project, but before long other would be rabbits arrived at his hutch, starting with his brother, drummer Grant Hutchison, who came on board in 2004. Bassist Billy Kennedy followed in 2006, keyboardist/guitarist Andy Monaghan in 2008 and guitarist Gordon Skene in 2009.
“Scott was playing acoustic guitar and supporting [opening for] other bands,” Grant Hutchison says. “He decided to take a step up in volume, and thought it would be nice to have a drum kit. I was the only drummer he knew, so there we were, [me] playing for me brother, who’s two and a half years older.”
The group has previously toured in the United States, the younger Hutchison says, including a show at the Revolution Room. “I remember the gig was brilliant,” he recalls. “The folks over here seem to pick up on bands quicker, so we’ve managed to build abase here.”
Frightened Rabbit has released four albums: Sing the Greys in 2006, The Midnight Organ Fight in 2008, The Winter of Mixed Drinks in 2010 and Pedestrian Verse two months ago.
“We recorded the new one in Wales,” Hutchison adds, “way out in the woods. We didn’t want any distractions. The album is not a concept so much as it’s a progression, where we all chipped in on the writing. Previously, my brother Scott did all of the writing, but he’s appreciative of the help. It took a while, but it’s definitely for the best.”
Frightened Rabbit performs and records almost all originals, but Hutchison says there are the occasional cover versions, such as a “B side” of a 2010 single of Elton John’s “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” which featured a friend of the band, Craig Finnof The Hold Steady.
The band now has its base in Glasgow, although Scott Hutchison lives in Edinburgh. “Scotland is not a very large country, so we’re not very far away from each other,” his brother explains.
Frightened Rabbit
Opening act: Wintersleep 9 p.m. Friday, Revolution Room, 300 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock
Tickets: $13 advance, $15 day of show (501) 823-0090 revroom.com
Weekend, Pages 34 on 04/11/2013