Frightened Rabbit’s ‘The Midnight Organ Fight’ is one of the best albums to emerge from domestic shores in 2008 – seeped in deep melancholy yet resonating with powerful pop instincts, it’s an under-the-radar indie hit just a breakthrough short of massive exposure.
The Scottish outfit are seeing 2008 to its close with a series of high-profile support dates with both Death Cab For Cutie and fellow countrymen Biffy Clyro; if their ascendancy continues at its present pace, expect the band to be encroaching upon mainstream radio stations before long.
Clash spoke to vocalist and guitarist Scott Hutchison ahead of both the band’s arena dates, and their headline slot at Tuesday (November 18)’s Clash Live event at London’s Hoxton Bar & Kitchen – click HERE for further details and tickets.
What were some of your highlights from the year?
I guess a lot of my personal highlights are music based. We spent most of the year touring and I guess the shows are just growing in number and attendance. I think getting back from our US tour, which was fun as well and a lot of people turned up to see us play, made us aware that people were getting into our records.
What music have you been listening to this year?
I’ve enjoyed a bunch of records this year. Fleet Foxes are great. Crystal Castles, I really like their record as well. I kinda think they suck live, but their record is extremely good. Uh, the David Karsten Daniels album was really good. There are three off the top of my head.
What was the most unlikely thing to happen to you this year?
I think one of our songs played on that shitty TV program One Tree Hill. It’s one of the more forthright and personal songs on the record, and for it to be used in a teen drama… I wasn’t against it at all because I thought like, “Fair enough, that’s fine,” but it was weird to have that running underneath a teenage crisis, whereas actually that was kind of a serious point in my life. So that was one of the weirdest things that happened, I think.
What was the most shocking thing you discovered?
I just found out they’re selling these cigarettes now that start off as a normal cigarette and you put in the filter and it turns into menthol. That was probably the weirdest thing this year.
What was one of the most valuable things you learned this year?
My mum had always told me that I am allergic to fabric conditioner. I always liked the smell, and I learned this year that I am not really allergic to it at all. So I started using it and it is quite good.
Why would she tell you that?
She was allergic to it. So she was like, “No, you guys all inherited this allergic reaction”. Maybe I had it as a kid, but I definitely don’t have it anymore. But I’ve been so afraid for years of getting a rash. But I started using it and it’s just fine and my clothes smell very nice, so that is good.
If you could change anything about 2008, what would you change?
I might have gotten a little more sleep. That would have been nice. That’s all I would have desired. I’ve shaved years off my life by not sleeping enough. So yeah, I don’t know where I would have gotten it, but if I could just catch up for a couple of days, that would be great.
I know this is early, but do you have any New Year’s resolutions?
I don’t tend to have them spoken, but in my head I try and have a couple of things. Maybe I’ll do the no red meat thing next year. I’m speaking to you at a point in our tour where we’ve just gone through Texas. I have like three pounds of meat in my intestines right now, so I’m going to have to stop, I think. So that will be it, I’ll just stick with chicken and vegetables next year.
What do you have coming up in 2009? Are you recording a new album?
Once the touring comes to an end, in January, we’ll head back to the studio and start working on a new record. I would like it to be finished by summer so it can come out, like, maybe a year from now? The tour has just been so long that I’m looking forward to having time to step back and work on writing.
Any goals for 2009?
I just want to make a new record. Make and release a new record. It’s important to us to continue working hard and, you know, keep the music coming, I guess? I hate bands that take far too long between albums. There’s no point in that. I want new songs to play live.
Any directions for the new album?
Last time it was done in America, and I really want this one to be done in Scotland, so that I can invite friends to come and play on it as well, so that the musical scope can go beyond what my own abilities dictate. I’d like more instrumentation and more people playing on the record.
Any more highlights from 2008?
We were really excited the other day. We got this nice package from this guy, John Krasinski, who plays Jim in the American version of The Office. We’d all be huge fans of the show for ages, and he sent us a really nice package saying he really likes our album and that was quite exciting. It’s kinda dorky, but it was quite exciting for us. We’ve got lots more shows, and we’re starting the Death Cab tour in a couple days as well, so that’s going to be good. Hopefully most of the highlights haven’t come yet.
‘The Midnight Organ Fight’ is out now on FatCat; the single ‘It’s Christmas So We’ll Stop’ is released on December 15. Catch Frightened Rabbit live as follows (* w/Death Cab For Cutie; ^ w/Biffy Clyro)…
November
14 Edinburgh Corn Exchange *
15 Nottingham Rock City *
16 Bristol Colston Hall *
17 Sheffield Academy *
18 London Clash Live @ Hoxton Bar & Kitchen (get tickets)
19 London Brixton Academy *
27 Manchester Moho Live
28 Gateshead The Sage
29 Glasgow King Tut’s
December
9 Edinburgh Liquid Room
10 Dundee Fat Sam’s
11 Aberdeen Moshulu
16 London Brixton Windmill
17 London Brixton Academy ^
18 Birmingham Academy ^
19 Manchester Academy ^
20 Glasgow SECC ^
