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.
The Wrestle
Frightened Rabbit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The dark waters stole my clothing
The shape stirs beneath me
A pulse pounds along blood streams
First bite marks, the beginning of
The clotheless wrestle,
The clotheless animal
You can see all of me, naked with fear
This is the test I left land for
To grip flesh and pull muscle
Well, the vice grips of the struggle
I can't give into, we owe the clotheless
Wrestle, the clotheless
Animal, animal, animal, animal
My enemy, please stay close to me
No breath left, cold breath thief
The last gasp of air, burst lung
They fight fathers, the weak son
The last taste of salt in my mouth
The skin breaks, there's no sound
They tore me limb from limb
There is bone, there is gristle
I'm despairing
The clotheless wrestle
The clotheless animal
Animal, animal, animal
The lyrics of "The Wrestle" by Frightened Rabbit are filled with vivid imagery and emotions that capture the feelings of fear, vulnerability, and desperation. The opening lines speak of an ocean, but one without a boat trip, suggesting that the singer is adrift and alone in a perilous situation. The dark waters have stolen their clothing, leaving them exposed and defenseless. The shape stirring beneath them could be anything, perhaps a sea creature or a primal force that threatens to overpower them. The pounding pulse along blood streams suggests a sense of urgency and impending danger.
The next stanza encapsulates the central theme of the song, which is the fear of an animalistic struggle or fight. The first bite marks signal the beginning of the fight, one that is "clotheless," meaning without any external weapons or armor. The use of animal imagery is prominent throughout the song, with references to bare teeth, nakedness, and the "clotheless animal." The singer pleads with their opponent to bare their teeth but is also filled with fear at the prospect of what's to come.
The final stanza describes the ultimate outcome of the struggle, with the singer torn limb from limb and left in despair. The imagery of bone and gristle suggests a brutal and violent end. The use of the phrase "clotheless wrestle" throughout the song reinforces the idea that this is a primal and raw fight, one that is stripped of any civilized or societal norms.
Overall, "The Wrestle" speaks to the human instinct for survival and the fear of being confronted with a situation where we are forced to fight for our lives. The visceral imagery and raw emotions make for a powerful and intense listening experience.
Line by Line Meaning
The crumpled ocean with no boat trip
The vast, tumultuous ocean appeared hopeless, with no safe passage in sight.
The dark waters stole my clothing
The ominous, unknown depths robbed me of all sense of security.
The shape stirs beneath me
A formless entity lurks beneath the surface, unsettling me.
A pulse pounds along blood streams
My heart races, adrenaline pumping through me.
First bite marks, the beginning of
The initial attacks signal the start of an intense struggle.
The clotheless wrestle,
A fight with no weapons or armor, a raw and brutal confrontation.
The clotheless animal
Reduced to primal instincts, the fight turns into a savage, animalistic battle.
Bare those teeth to me please, my meter
Show me your true nature, your capacity for violence, so that I can gauge the threat.
You can see all of me, naked with fear
My fear is exposed, and I feel vulnerable and exposed.
This is the test I left land for
This is the ultimate challenge I sought, leaving the safety of the shoreline for an uncertain struggle.
To grip flesh and pull muscle
The objective is to physically overpower the opponent, causing damage and inflicting pain.
Well, the vice grips of the struggle
The constricting, suffocating weight of the fight threatens to overwhelm and crush me.
I can't give into, we owe the clotheless
Despite the temptation to surrender, there is a sense of obligation to see this fight to its conclusion.
Wrestle, the clotheless
Emphasizes the unadorned, uncivilized nature of the battle.
Animal, animal, animal, animal
The combatants have regressed to a primal, instinctual state.
My enemy, please stay close to me
There is a desperate need to keep the adversary nearby, rather than succumbing to the unknown dark waters.
No breath left, cold breath thief
The fight has left me gasping for air, and the frigid surroundings threaten to rob me of it entirely.
The last gasp of air, burst lung
Even the final moments of the battle are fraught with agony, as every breath is a struggle.
They fight fathers, the weak son
Continuing the cycle of violence, the weaker child is forced to struggle against their stronger parent.
The last taste of salt in my mouth
Even as the battle draws to a close, the saltwater taste remains, a bitter reminder of the struggle.
The skin breaks, there's no sound
The violence has become so intense that the physical damage inflicted occurs silently, as if the body can no longer scream.
They tore me limb from limb
The brutality of the fight becomes utterly vicious and cruel, a merciless tearing apart of the body.
There is bone, there is gristle
The damage inflicted is deep and severe, down to the very structure of the body.
I'm despairing
In the face of such overwhelming violence, hopelessness becomes overwhelming.
The clotheless wrestle
Reiterating the raw, unadulterated nature of the fight, stripped of everything but the essential struggle.
The clotheless animal
Reduced to a primal, animalistic state, where only survival matters.
Animal, animal, animal
Emphasizing the ferocity and raw power of the combatants in this animalistic battle.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@SteveBogia
If he only new how much we miss him... If he only new how many of us he helped... I wish you peace in the next life my friend.
@herbertrichard614
Scott(y) is helping me to keep going. Artists do that.
@andrewwilson5973
His music gave me such comfort.. Unfortunately it wasn't enough seemingly to in burden himself, much love to the band and condolences to the family.. Truly an artist as those words took me to places of hope.. He may have lost the fight, but he is helping many fight the war
@ThatLittleKitten
I'm sad I didn't discover this band sooner
@louisduncan9434
a tip : watch series on Flixzone. I've been using it for watching a lot of movies these days.
@KTM623
i haven't heard a single Frightened Rabbit song that i haven't liked. and i hope i never do, that will be the day the world ends.
@rogerrogers7393
Strange enough a few years one of my uncles told me about this band and i really like the music
@bbop3557
Main man gone😔fuckin heartbroken......rip mate💙
@afireinside065
@darkbookmage most people probably cant handle the pure awesomeness of this song
@ntaelstrom
Why doesn't this have more views...? It makes me sad that it doesn't.