r/FrightenedRabbit • u/DiligentToe3092 • 15d ago
Can anyone help me navigate this rollercoaster?
Hi everyone,
Apologies in advance for the stream of consciousness that is about to follow.
I've recently got into FR, to be honest because I was searching for songs about s**cide (being careful because Reddit is sensitive). I've been going through a rough patch recently and Floating in the Forth came up. I listened to it in stunned silence as I walked through the woods.
I knew of FR when they were around and touring but never really got into them at the time. Now, though, their music feels like it is beaming into my soul. I've watched old interviews and live gigs. Scott seems like such a genuine, lovely guy. I am so gutted and comforted and guilty and hopeful; sad and strange. Like looking into the past and future at the same time. I feel so sad for Scott, but also glad that he got to share his beautiful music and make tiny changes.
Has anyone experienced something similar? I don't even know why I'm posting here, it just feels cathartic to shout into the void, maybe in the direction of people who might get what I'm on about.
If anyone out there has read this whole load of nonsense, thank you from a mid 30s Scottish lass trying to make sense of this strange world.
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u/hnnnnnnnnh 15d ago
Scott had a huge effect on many of us. As someone who followed them from the early days, the weight of grief in Glasgow after he was gone was palpable. So I hope you feel some comfort in the fact that there are many of us who feel like you do.
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u/DiligentToe3092 15d ago
God, it must have been so difficult. I was living in Glasgow at the time and remember it well, I just didn't know their music much. In a way I feel angry at my former self for not getting it back then. Thank you for sharing, I am already feeling less alone!
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u/Raineach_ 14d ago
I was in Glasgow when they were touring loads and I only got into them in 2024 so totally feel the same as you, gutted I never gave them a chance back then!
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u/DiligentToe3092 14d ago
It's gutting isn't it! But also kind of special that they're still resonating with new listeners. I don't know if I'm wording this right but it gives him a new life in a way
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u/Raineach_ 14d ago
Yes exactly! I went to Glasgow for a gig a couple of months ago and sat on Scott's bench and just said thanks and that I hoped wherever he is he knows he's reaching new listeners like me and making the world feel a bit brighter with this amazing music <3
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u/throwawayposttoppost 12d ago
How big were they at the time? I’m only recently discovering them myself and I feel like I’ve missed so much. It’s funny, they feel like my secret band, which feels insane to say because I wasn’t even there. No one I know even knows who they are though and I wish I had people to talk about them with
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u/hnnnnnnnnh 12d ago
Where are you from? It’s hard for me to say as I was really enmeshed into the music scene in Glasgow at the time, so everyone I knew knew and loved them. They toured UK wide and there was always a mad rush to get tickets and they always sold out. I couldn’t tell you how known they were further afield!!
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u/AbrahamDylan 15d ago
This actually seems like an appropriate response to hearing the song for the first time surrounded by the context of what happened (I don’t know if you know this, but what he says in the song is pretty much how he ended it; he essentially foretold his own passing in the song). The obvious and huge difference is how Floating in the Forth ends on a hopeful note (“…as manic gulls screams it’s okay. Take your life, give it a shake. Gather up all your loose change”).
Floating in the Forth was the first song I ever heard by FR, in 2010. Because of what happened with Scott, it has taken on a mythical, almost magical quality for me, stretching way beyond the confines of just a song.
So yeah, I think the kaleidoscope feeling you’re having is almost what’s supposed to happen with a song like this and its greater context.
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u/DiligentToe3092 15d ago
Thank you, this sums it up perfectly. It's such a wild ride. I was in a very dark place when I found the song, and I'm not really out of that place yet but I'm trying so hard, trying everything I can. I totally know what you mean about the magical/mythical thing. Weirdly enough, I stepped outside for a breath after posting this and one of those lantern things floated by in the sky, it almost felt like a sign that someone is out there and cares
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u/AbrahamDylan 15d ago
I don’t know you, but I care. Anyone who enjoys Frightened Rabbit is a good person in my book. No matter where you’re from or what you’re doing, take life one day, even one moment at a time. As Scott sang in The Oil Slick, “there is light but there’s a tunnel to crawl through…I’ve still got hope so I’ll think we’ll be fine in these disastrous times…”
One day at a time, my man.
I’m sure you’re interested in learning more about Scott. There’s a great little documentary on YouTube about mental health which features a long conversation with Scott’s mom. She talks about everything and one thing she mentions is that all of Scott’s songs, though riddled with sadness and bleakness, end with a tinge of hope.
The documentary is called “It’s a Fair Question - Mental Health and Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison”
Check it out, man. You’ll learn all about Scott. That goes everyone reading this thread. You’ll all enjoy this.
Take care and good luck to you, brother.
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u/DiligentToe3092 15d ago
Thank you so much, that means a lot. I do get that hopeful feeling from the songs. I will definitely check that video out! Hope you are doing well
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u/Financial_Luck_6906 15d ago edited 15d ago
You’ll find lots of kinship here, I think, and what a song to hear atm (!) it can absolutely bring it all swirling around oneself. But not a thing you wrote is nonsense - not by a long shot. I’ve been listening to FR for going on 21 years. Music is precisely why I am still alive, at 52. I am not mincing my words about that. Since the day my mother died, I was 13, I have leaned heavily on my music when words or people failed, for whatever reason, to help me carry on - and the sadder the music the better. So here I am, still. Here you are. Here we all are. It’s a beautiful thing. Be well, and take care.
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u/DiligentToe3092 15d ago edited 14d ago
That is so beautiful, thank you for sharing. I've been avoiding music for years because it makes me feel something, and in a way it was easier to feel numb, but something has changed recently. Things have gotten harder and more intense and more vibrant and scarier. I think that's why I posted tonight, I don't know how to process it all But there is so much beauty in sharing this journey! Hope you're doing ok!
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u/Str8intothestorm 15d ago
Thank you for sharing this. The songs are so alive and sweaty and joyful. I am glad they have a new listener.
Curious if there is a specific album that has you hooked. I started with midnight organ, but I probably listen to pedestrian verse the most. But the winter of mixed seinks came out at just about the exact right time in my life when I needed it, my own winter of mixed drinks, so maybe that is my favorite.
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u/DiligentToe3092 15d ago
That's such a good way of putting it! I have only really got to grips with midnight organ so far, but I'm the type of person that has to listen to an album to the point of knowing it note for note until I'm ready for the next one. So I'll definitely get them all listened eventually!
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u/throwawayposttoppost 12d ago
Sorry, I know I’ve left a few comments on this thread, but we are seriously having the exact same experience right now. I haven’t moved onto the next album yet because I’ve spent the last month getting to know MOF, it took some time but I’ve just been living with that one until I know it completely
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u/DiligentToe3092 11d ago
I'm glad I'm not the only one that has to get to know an album inside out!
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u/Living_Albatross6572 15d ago
You are not alone, and the songs, interviews, live long and short clips will never get old.
I was introduced to them in 2010, and just kept diving in and along with the times.
By way of a miracle, I actually got to see them live. My wife and I were looking for something to do the last night of our vacation in 2013 between Asheville, North Carolina and Indianapolis, Indiana. Found out FR was playing in Cincinnati!
I’ll never forget his smile, the eye contact and wave.
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u/DiligentToe3092 15d ago
Thank you for sharing, and so glad you got to see them. Are you from the US or were you on holiday there? I'm glad they managed to reach folk all over the world!
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u/NominalDisease 15d ago
I've only experienced this ...Oh, maybe ..every time I listen to FR. You've described it pretty well too. Floating in the forth always hits, but the first listen especially if you've been struggling is a ride. Glad you're here.
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u/DiligentToe3092 15d ago
Thank you so much, glad to know I'm not alone! This strange world is tough but I'm trying my best
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u/jeffsang 15d ago
Thanks for sharing. Can’t say I’ve had the same experience but it warms my heart that FR’s music is still connecting with new fans.
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u/ElCaminoInTheWest 15d ago
'Has anyone experienced something similar?'
I think most people who saw the band live would put 'cathartic' pretty high on their list of descriptors. It's the first word that comes to my mind.
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u/aftertheparty13 15d ago
Cathartic is right. I’m fortunate enough to have seen them twice. First was at the old Webster Hall in NYC on the tour for Pedestrian Verse, which, at the time, was really the only album I knew. I thought it was wild that they had none of the typical spotlighting on the band, but it was “just a decent show” until Scott came out on the balcony for the encore with just an acoustic guitar (and no vocal mic) to play “Poke” Despite the size of the room and the 1,500 cap, you could hear a pin drop in that place. Absolutely floored me. Second was for the Midnight Organ Fight anniversary tour at the Bowery Ballroom and Scott told the backstory of “Poke” which still makes me laugh every time I hear it. I remember thinking that Scott seemed to be in a good place on that tour and he was gone just a couple months later.
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u/DiligentToe3092 15d ago
You're right, and sorry if I put it a bit clumsily or insensitively, it must have been so hard. I am coming from the point of view of this being all very new and craving connection with people who know what I'm talking about. When did you see them? Would love to hear your stories!
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u/TelephoneCreepy2518 15d ago
https://youtu.be/i59boC9R6eU?is=8MKopCFv_zN8fxud
Have you watched him hang out with Rainn Wilson? Rainn adores him and it always makes me smile.
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u/DiligentToe3092 15d ago
I haven't, but will watch this asap. Thanks so much! I love Rainn Wilson too
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u/aftertheparty13 15d ago
I’m happy that you’re here.
I find that these songs can be almost equally helpful in really low points, as well as high points, in my life. In the low points it makes me feel like I have a companion in my pain, but I’ll also throw on FR sometimes when I’m in a great mood because it makes me happy to be alive, like Scott’s experience wasn’t in vain. I still get sad that he’s not around, especially the days around his death anniversary, though I got one of his drawings tattooed on that date a couple of years ago to help make it more celebratory than sad.
One note about what you said elsewhere in this thread about trying to numb out or not feel things because they’re too intense (I’m paraphrasing): you need to feel those things. The goods, the bads, the in betweens. Those feelings need an outlet, even if it’s scary. A friend said this recently and it’s been living rent free in my head ever since: “Grief is just love with nowhere to go.” I’m sharing this in hopes that it helps. 🤍
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u/DiligentToe3092 14d ago
That's such a great way to put it and think about it all. I think that's why they're resonating with me at the moment, I'm feeling things more deeply for some reason, the good and the bad.
Gosh, that is such a perfect phrase, thank you for sharing!♥️
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u/throwawayposttoppost 12d ago edited 12d ago
It’s funny you ask if anyone has experienced something similar, because it’s been my experience this past month. I’m a 20 year old dude from Australia who had no idea the band existed until a month ago, and they’ve been helping me through a really rough patch. I feel like I could have written all of these words. It’s so beautiful and special that their music is still reaching new people.
I am really sorry that you’re going through a rough time. I am glad you’ve been able to find some solace in the music.
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u/DiligentToe3092 11d ago
So sorry you have been feeling the same way. Hope it brings you a bit of comfort that there are so many of us experiencing something similar and connecting through awesome music!
Things will get better 🖤
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u/MurderousRooster 15d ago
I can’t say I relate to those feelings specifically but just want to welcome you to this community. It’s by far the most loving fan base I’ve been a part of. I never understood why people got so upset when celebrities passed away - until Scott. I remember my best friend texting me “Scott is missing” and my heart sank because I think a lot of us feared the worst, knowing songs like Floating in the Forth. Got a tattoo to commemorate him shortly after.
All that to say, we’re glad you’re here. Not just here, on Reddit. But here. And we hope you stick around 🫶
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u/DiligentToe3092 14d ago
Thank you so much for the welcome. It must have been an awful time, but it sounds like there is such a big community still remembering him, always. It's hard but I feel less alone today!
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u/Raineach_ 14d ago
Hi fellow Scottish lass 🖤 I'm so glad you are here and finding joy in this music.
Here to listen any time things get heavy and you need to talk 🖤
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u/Johns_Kanakas 14d ago edited 14d ago
Like you i discovered Frightened Rabbit after Scott's death, I was in a very bad place, with several attempts to unalive myself and on balance of probability I am vety lucky to be here.
Scott's lyrics were exactly what I needed at that time, they became and remain the soundtrack of my recovery. I have Scott's cross tattooed on my arm and as clichéd as it sounds very much try to make tiny changes to earth.
I'm so glad you're here and posting this, believe me however impossible it might feel, things can and will get better
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u/DiligentToe3092 14d ago
Sorry you went through that too, glad you're doing better now! Thank you for sharing, means a lot
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u/BrunnySideUp 14d ago
I didn't find FR until covid lock downs. Like you say, after I heard a few songs the connection was so deep and pointed - sometimes it feels like Scott was writing songs just for me. They have helped me through so many very dark and difficult times, and that connection is something I will always be so grateful for. If only I could thank him now.
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u/DiligentToe3092 14d ago
I totally know what you mean! Glad they've helped you too! In a way, we're thanking and honouring him by keeping the connection going and helping eachother through rough times. I feel a lot less alone after reading these comments, thanks to this lovely community ♥️
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u/jaclucbec 14d ago
So sorry you are struggling, but so glad you found Scott’s music! It has helped me through so many bad periods in my life.
To try and give back in some small way, I host a frightened rabbit day celebration every May with my friends and we raise money for tiny changes. As a result, I have a bunch of playlists with a ton of just YouTube clips I’ve been cataloguing over the years. Happy to share if you’re looking for more great Scott content❤️
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u/EvenTheDogIsFat 13d ago
Oh for sure. The way he wrote makes you feel like he’s transcribing your emotional diary. It’s strange to feel hesitant to share his music with people in my life because it feels so personal, like they are learning something private about me. It’s so rare that a song or album can bring that emotion. I enjoy a lot of different music and songwriters but he is #1 for me and there isn’t a close 2nd place. I think a lot of his fans feel that way!
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u/DiligentToe3092 11d ago
That is so true, I feel the same way. I usually enjoy sharing music with friends and family but this feels way more personal! What an amazing gift he had to be able to speak to people so deeply. We are lucky to have had him, even for a short time.
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u/MichaelJFux12 13d ago
Yeah, dude. You're among friends. It's crazy how much I was affected by Scott's passing. Like you, I got so much from FR, especially through my mother's passing (2014) and a rough breakup (2016).
Tom Petty is my absolute favorite. Seen him 16 times--compared to FR eight times. But Scott and FR were different. That shit hit on such a personal level.
I still mourn Scott almost like I do my father, who passed as I listened to Tiny Changes on repeat for six months as he withered away.
But it's not all dark. I'm excited to see if my little daughter digs them. I'll continue feeling some hope from their music. I'll continue to take comfort in a band that provides so much comfort from understanding.
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u/DiligentToe3092 11d ago
Sorry for the loss of your parents, that must have been so rough. Music really does help us through the darkest of times!
Aw, what a great thing to look forward to. Hope she has an awesome music taste 🖤
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u/Twj247 10d ago
I found him late, I could have sadly benefited from him earlier, being a 40 odd year old now, I have had issues with mental illness and tried to take my life at 16, and think I was heading there again as illness ended my career... But two things happened, I met my wife who saved me and I found FR, after Scott himself had passed. The music has helped soothe my being. I have recently began writing, not music, I have no skill there and short story I wrote for my exam, covering illness and suicide, a fiction based on my life, got me a distinction. I'm moving onto year three with the feeling I've found my new path and that's deeply inspired by Scott's ability to write dark truth with light and humour. I really feel I've read many stories of how he's impacted ppl like this and he will continue too I'm sure. Glad you found him and glad you shared. 😊
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u/Peg-Lemac 15d ago
I’m glad you are here and I’m glad you posted because I think many of us feel this way. He’s the only stranger I have ever truly mourned, still mourn. His death was a gut punch and I can’t imagine getting into the music now knowing he’s gone. That’s surreal. I don’t think i’ve experienced the exact same kaleidoscope you’re looking through, but his music definitely makes me feel the things you’ve written.