From Festival Stages to Family Life
Grant Hutchison, known for his role in Frightened Rabbit, one of the most influential bands of their generation, performed at major festivals such as Glastonbury, T in the Park, and Coachella during his music career.
Following the death of his brother and bandmate Scott in 2018, Grant stepped away from full-time touring. Now 41 and residing in the East Neuk of Fife, far from his native Selkirk, his life has shifted focus towards his roles as husband and father.
Life Beyond Music
Grant had contemplated life after music for some time, though he did not anticipate that his new path had been quietly developing over the years.
"Over time there comes a realisation that a music career, unless you reach a certain status, a certain size of band, it's not going to last forever,"
During his touring years, Grant developed a keen interest in craft cider, enjoying the opportunity to discover and sample products from small independent brewers. He noticed a market gap whenever he returned home after extended periods on the road.
During the pandemic, after moving from Glasgow to the fishing village of Anstruther with his wife Jaye, they found a shop available for rent in the town. This prompted them to take a chance and open Aeble in 2021.
New Ventures and Family Life
Five years on, Grant's life remains busy, balancing family life with two young daughters and organizing their first cider festival, The Ubhal Cider Gathering, set to launch in March.
"My life has changed a lot in 20 years from running around Glasgow playing the drums with my brother to now, I have two kids, a wife and a shop in a small coastal town,"
"But it is no less hectic, maybe even more."
Remembering Scott
Despite moving into a new chapter, Grant's memories of his late brother Scott remain vivid.
"It's something I think about daily, my relationship with Scott and the fact that my children don't have that and never will, that's still a really hard thing to face,"
He has come to appreciate the ongoing influence Scott has in his daughters' lives.
"You see little bits of him in them, it's a sad kind of bittersweet thing, but it's also great to see that there is bits of him in there,"
"Where I am really lucky over someone in a similar situation who wasn't in a band is, I can show them their uncle and show them their uncle's music and they can still, in a way, grow up with him.
That is really special to me and I realise it is a privilege I have that a lot of people don't."
Business Experience and Passion for Cider
Twenty years after Frightened Rabbit released their debut album Sing the Greys, Grant has found contentment in what may seem like a departure from music but feels familiar in many respects.
"You know with the band when you think about it we essentially set up and ran our own business, and getting it to a point where we could make a living off of it,"
"So, in some way, I had already started a business, ran it, and been successful"
His longstanding enthusiasm for cider also contributed to his new venture.
"Cider had always been a passion, we'd go perform in Bristol and I'd fill up the bus with a couple of crates so in that respect it has really helped,"
Changing Perceptions Through The Ubhal Cider Gathering
As Grant and Jaye prepare to launch their cider festival on 28 March at Custom Lane in Leith, they aim to transform public perception of cider from a casual drink associated with youth to one appreciated on par with wine or whisky.
By highlighting small, traditional producers, they hope to shift opinions.
"I honestly think as soon as people try it and realise what it is and why it is more expensive, I think this will flip people's mindset and make a big difference,"
