Frightened Rabbit was an indie rock band which formed in 2003 in Glasgow, S… Read Full Bio ↴Frightened Rabbit was an indie rock band which formed in 2003 in Glasgow, Scotland. The band consisted of Scott Hutchison (b. 20 November 1981, d. 9 May 2018), Billy Kennedy (guitar, keyboards), Grant Hutchison (drums, vocals), and Andy Monaghan (guitar, keyboards). The band has released five albums: "Sing the Greys" (2006), "The Midnight Organ Fight" (2008), "The Winter of Mixed Drinks" (2010), "Pedestrian Verse" (2013) and "Painting of a Panic Attack" (2016). Lead singer Scott Hutchison (b. November 20, 1981) was found dead on May 10, [yearended]2018[/yearended] several days after going missing, causing the band to break up.

Andy joined the band after the release of Midnight Organ Fight, allowing them to play many songs from the album they would previously have struggled to fill out instrumentally. Gordon joined the band in November 2009 and is a former member of Make Model. He left the band in 2014.

The origins of the band are rooted in 2003, when Scott began playing solo shows under the name Frightened Rabbit, mostly in support of fellow art-schoolers Shitdisco. Recordings were made on a tascam 4-track recorder, with Scott playing all the instruments (some more proficiently than others). Though looser, sparser, and certainly more lo-fi in terms of production values, their early demos still attest to a burgeoning talent with a defined personality and a now familiar penchant for being able to create widely appreciated pop songs.

In 2004 Scott’s brother Grant moved to Glasgow, Scotland, contributing drums to certain recorded tracks, and playing live. Frightened Rabbit became louder and better. They burnt 50 copies of their subsequent demo, and sent some out to labels, resulting in three tracks being hosted on the FatCat MP3/demo website, and marking the beginning of a wonderful relationship. In 2006, Billy joined the band playing primarily second guitar, making Frightened Rabbit in the band’s own words, a wee bit better and louder still. That February they went into The Diving Bell Lounge studio with Glasgow based producer Marcus Mackay to record some songs over the course of a week. The intention was to record a better quality demo, but the resultant recordings ended up as the bands debut LP Sing The Greys, of which 1000 copies were pressed and released that May on home grown label Hits The Fan.

An incredibly accomplished live outfit (seemingly without any effort whatsoever), further live dates followed into 2007, including a brief but successful US jaunt, culminating in a sold-out show at The Mercury Lounge in NYC, before the album was even available in the US. After an intense spate of writing, rehearsing, recording, and remixing, and of course playing more live shows, ‘Sing The Greys’ was remastered by Alan Douches, and re-released in significantly revamped form by FatCat Autumn 2007, along with debut single ‘Be Less Rude’. Rounding off the year with the incredible 'It's Christmas So We'll Stop' single.

In April 2008, the band released their second full length, "The Midnight Organ Fight", a progression in terms of songwriting, sonic depth, and as a fully realised entity. Recorded by Peter Katis (Mercury Rev, Interpol) over the space of two weeks, and mixed over the ensuing fortnight, ‘Midnight Organ Fight’ was conceived and realised in a much shorter time span than its predecessor, with the intention of creating a more coherent, ‘pop’ sounding album. Yet although musically more immediate, vitally, the band have not forsaken the personality or passion of any of their earlier recordings.

In July 2008, a live rendition of ‘Midnight Organ Fight’ was recorded in Glasgow, and mixed by Mice Parade’s Adam Pierce, entitled 'Liver! Lung! Fr!' The stripped-down instrumentation brings singer Scott Hutchison’s vocal delivery - now wrenching, now soaring - to the fore, showcasing the emotive lyrics and memorable melodies that have earned the band their passionate following. This album was released in the United States in late 2008, and a world release date to followed in March 2009.

The band's third album "The Winter of Mixed Drinks" was released in early 2010. The fourth album “Pedestrian Verse” was released in 2013, while their fifth and final album “Painting of a Panic Attack” was released in 2016.

Old Old Fashioned
Frightened Rabbit Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'll turn off the TV
It's killing us, we never speak
There's a radio in the corner
It's dying to make a scene

So give me soft, soft static
With a human voice underneath
And we can both get old fashioned

Put the brakes on these fast, fast wheels

Oh, let's get old fashioned
Back to how things used to be
If I get old, old fashioned
Would you get old, old fashioned with me?

Put the wall clock in the top drawer
Turn off the lights so we can see
We will waltz across the carpet
1, 2, 3, 2, 2, 3

So give me the soft, soft static
Of the open fire and the shuffle of our feet
We can both get old fashioned
Do it like they did in '43

Oh, let's get old fashioned
Back to how things used to be
If I get old, old fashioned
Would you get old, old fashioned with me?

Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh

So give me soft, soft static
We won't need no electricity
If we both get old fashioned
We won't have to rely on our memories

Oh, let's get old fashioned
Back to how things used to be
If I get old, old fashioned
Would you get old, old fashioned with me?

Oh, let's get old fashioned
Back to how things used to be

If I get old, old fashioned
Would you get old, old fashioned with me?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Old Old Fashioned" by Frightened Rabbit reflect a yearning for simplicity and connection in an age of constant distraction and disconnection. The singer suggests turning off the TV, which they interpret as a source of isolation and disengagement from the world and each other. Instead, they desire "soft, soft static with a human voice underneath," the kind of comforting background noise that might be heard from an old-fashioned radio. This image is contrasted with the fast-paced, ever-accelerating modern world, represented by the "fast, fast wheels" that need to be slowed down.

The singer urges their partner to join them in embracing an older, slower way of living. They suggest putting away the distractions and focusing on each other, even suggesting dancing to the sound of an imaginary open fire. The idea is to create a sense of intimacy and closeness that is often lost in our hyper-connected world. The chorus is an invitation to imagine growing old together in this way, preserving a sense of timeless simplicity and shared experience.

Overall, "Old Old Fashioned" is a nostalgic and romantic song that celebrates the value of slowing down and living in the moment. It speaks to a yearning for connection and intimacy, reminding us to prioritize those things in our lives even as the world around us continues to change.

Line by Line Meaning

I'll turn off the TV
Turning off the TV will help us communicate better

It's killing us, we never speak
The TV is negatively impacting our communication

There's a radio in the corner
There's an alternative to the TV for entertainment

It's dying to make a scene
The radio is looking for attention

So give me soft, soft static
White noise would be a nice change from the TV noise

With a human voice underneath
Having someone to talk to would be comforting

And we can both get old fashioned
We can return to simpler times

Put the brakes on these fast, fast wheels
We need to slow down and enjoy life more

Oh, let's get old fashioned
Let's embrace a simpler life

Back to how things used to be
Returning to the nostalgia of the past

If I get old, old fashioned
If I become someone who wants to embrace the past