Owl John

Owl John

647 fans

Owl John was the solo project of Scott John Hutchison (20 November 1981 – 9 May 2018), best known as the frontman and primary songwriter of Scottish indie rock band Frightened Rabbit. Released in 2014, the self-titled Owl John album offered a deeply personal and sonically adventurous detour from Scott Hutchison’s work with the band, showcasing a darker, more introspective side of his artistry. Created during a period of emotional exhaustion and creative burnout following extensive touring, Owl John emerged as both catharsis and reinvention. Recorded between Scotland and Los Angeles with Frightened Rabbit bandmate Andy Monaghan and producer Simon Liddell, the album blends jagged electronic textures, ambient flourishes, and raw acoustic moments. It retains Scott Hutchison’s unmistakable lyrical fingerprints—honest, self-deprecating, poetic—but pushes into more experimental territory both musically and thematically. Songs like “Hate Music” and “Los Angeles, Be Kind” reflect Scott Hutchison’s conflicted relationship with fame, isolation, and identity, while others like “Red Hand” and “A Good Reason to Grow Old” channel the restless energy of someone seeking solace in displacement. Though quieter than Frightened Rabbit’s anthemic choruses, Owl John delivers its emotional punches with even more intensity. Scott Hutchison’s passing in 2018 gave Owl John an added layer of poignancy—what was once a side project now feels like a revealing, stand-alone chapter in a brilliant but brief career. Today, Owl John is remembered as a bold, unfiltered expression from one of Scotland’s most beloved songwriters—an intimate portrait of an artist wrestling with his shadows, and leaving behind something beautiful in the process.

Top tracks

02
Two
Owl John
Owl John
03:46
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
05
Los Angeles, Be Kind
Owl John
Owl John
03:40
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
04
Songs About Roses
Owl John
Owl John
03:50
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
03
Hate Music
Owl John
Owl John
02:47
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
01
Cold Creeps
Owl John
Owl John
04:23
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
10
Stupid Boy
Owl John
Owl John
02:28
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
08
Red Hand
Owl John
Owl John
03:30
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
09
Don't Take off the Gloves
Owl John
Owl John
03:24
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
07
A Good Reason to Grow Old
Owl John
Owl John
04:11
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
06
Ten Tons of Silence
Owl John
Owl John
03:13
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell

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  • Discography
Albums
Owl John
℗ 2014 Atlantic Records UK, a Warner Music Group Company
01-08-2014
Owl John
01
Cold Creeps
Owl John
Owl John
04:23
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
02
Two
Owl John
Owl John
03:46
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
03
Hate Music
Owl John
Owl John
02:47
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
04
Songs About Roses
Owl John
Owl John
03:50
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
05
Los Angeles, Be Kind
Owl John
Owl John
03:40
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
06
Ten Tons of Silence
Owl John
Owl John
03:13
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
07
A Good Reason to Grow Old
Owl John
Owl John
04:11
Writer: Scott Hutchison / Composers: Andy Monaghan - Scott Hutchison - Simon Liddell
Access the complete album info (10 songs)
Featured in
Just Good Music - Indie Alternative
2023 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group
02-06-2023
Just Good Music - Indie Alternative
01
Tongue Tied
Grouplove
Just Good Music - Indie Alternative
03:38
Writer: Grouplove / Composers: Grouplove
02
Notion
The Rare Occasions
Just Good Music - Indie Alternative
03:15
Writer: Brian McLaughlin / Composers: Brian McLaughlin
03
Little One
Highly Suspect
Just Good Music - Indie Alternative
04:01
Writer: Highly Suspect - Johnny Stevens / Composers: Highly Suspect
04
Freakin' Out on the Interstate
Briston Maroney
Just Good Music - Indie Alternative
04:11
Writer: Briston Maroney / Composers: Briston Maroney
05
Pages
White Reaper
Just Good Music - Indie Alternative
02:34
Writer: White Reaper / Composers: White Reaper
06
I Don't Live Here Anymore (feat. Lucius)
The War On Drugs
Just Good Music - Indie Alternative
05:27
Writer: Adam Granduciel - Robbie Bennett / Composers: Adam Granduciel - Robbie Bennett
07
Feel It Still
Portugal. The Man
Just Good Music - Indie Alternative
02:42
Writer: Asa Taccone - Brian Holland - Frederick Gorman - John Hill - Portugal. The Man - Robert Bateman / Composers: Asa Taccone - Brian Holland - Frederick Gorman - John Hill - Portugal. The Man - Robert Bateman
Access the complete album info (25 songs)
Indie Folk Now
2023 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group
26-05-2023
Indie Folk Now
01
The Blower's Daughter
Damien Rice
Indie Folk Now
04:46
Writer: Damien Rice / Composers: Damien Rice
02
I'm with You
Vance Joy
Indie Folk Now
03:59
Writer: Simone Felipe - Vance Joy / Composers: Simone Felipe - Vance Joy
03
Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)
Daisy Jones & The Six
Indie Folk Now
05:32
Writer: Blake Mills - Jason Boesel - Jonathan Rice - Marcus Mumford - Stephony Smith / Composers: Blake Mills - Jason Boesel - Jonathan Rice - Marcus Mumford - Stephony Smith
04
Steady
The Staves
Indie Folk Now
03:28
Writer: Camilla Staveley-Taylor - Emily Staveley-Taylor - Jessica Staveley-Taylor / Composers: Camilla Staveley-Taylor - Emily Staveley-Taylor - Jessica Staveley-Taylor
05
No Love Like Yours
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Indie Folk Now
02:58
06
The Voyager
Jenny Lewis
Indie Folk Now
03:30
Writer: Jenny Lewis / Composers: Jenny Lewis
07
Memorial
Devendra Banhart
Indie Folk Now
04:38
Writer: Devendra Banhart / Composers: Devendra Banhart
Access the complete album info (26 songs)
Acoustic Indie
2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group
22-01-2021
Acoustic Indie
01
Better Things
Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
Acoustic Indie
02:42
02
Tell Her You Love Her (Acoustic)
Echosmith
Acoustic Indie
04:19
03
The Time of Times
Badly Drawn Boy
Acoustic Indie
03:20
04
Burning Bridges (Demo)
Jason Mraz
Acoustic Indie
03:49
05
Head In Your Hands (Acoustic)
D.I.D.
Acoustic Indie
04:28
06
Shopping Trolley (Early Version)
Beth Orton
Acoustic Indie
03:05
Composers: Beth Orton - M Ward
07
I Am the Rain
Peter Doherty
Acoustic Indie
03:11
Composers: John Robinson - Peter Doherty
Access the complete album info (29 songs)
Indie Smoothie
2020 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group
11-09-2020
Indie Smoothie
01
Song for a Friend
Jason Mraz
Indie Smoothie
08:08
02
Fall Into You
Night Terrors of 1927
Indie Smoothie
04:03
03
The Time of Times
Badly Drawn Boy
Indie Smoothie
03:20
04
Allison Day
Kitten
Indie Smoothie
02:36
05
Bright
Echosmith
Indie Smoothie
03:40
06
Fear to Feel
Alvarez Kings
Indie Smoothie
04:01
07
What Do I Do Now
Cardiknox
Indie Smoothie
03:31
Access the complete album info (28 songs)
Alternative Indie
2019 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group
05-04-2019
Alternative Indie
01
Whirring
The Joy Formidable
Alternative Indie
06:47
02
Heart On Fire
Scars On 45
Alternative Indie
03:39
03
Celeste
Ezra Vine
Alternative Indie
03:23
04
Hotel
Tori Amos
Alternative Indie
05:19
Composers: Tori Amos
05
Made Concrete
The Republic Tigers
Alternative Indie
03:52
Composers: Adam McGill - Justin Tricomi - Kenn Jankowski - Marc Pepperman - Ryan Pinkston
06
Go
Delilah
Alternative Indie
03:33
Composers: D. H. Wolinski
07
Dirty Laundry
All Time Low
Alternative Indie
03:17
Access the complete album info (32 songs)
Summer Folk
2024 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group
27-06-2024
Summer Folk
01
Pink Skies
Zach Bryan
Summer Folk
03:14
Writer: Zach Bryan / Composers: Zach Bryan
02
Carry You Home
Alex Warren
Summer Folk
02:46
Writer: Alex Warren - Adam Yaron - Cal Shapiro - Mags Duval / Composers: Alex Warren - Adam Yaron - Cal Shapiro - Mags Duval
03
Scared to Start
Michael Marcagi
Summer Folk
02:39
Writer: Andrew Yorio - Michael Marcagi / Composers: Andrew Yorio - Michael Marcagi
04
Slow It Down
Benson Boone
Summer Folk
02:41
Writer: Jason Evigan - Connor McDonough - Riley McDonough - Benson Boone - Jackson Lafrantz Larsen / Composers: Jason Evigan - Connor McDonough - Riley McDonough - Benson Boone - Jackson Lafrantz Larsen
05
Georgia
Vance Joy
Summer Folk
03:50
Writer: Vance Joy / Composers: Vance Joy
06
Overtime (feat. Kacey Musgraves)
Rainbow Kitten Surprise
Summer Folk
02:53
Writer: Ela Melo - Daniel Tashian / Composers: Ela Melo - Daniel Tashian
07
Save You a Seat
Alex Warren
Summer Folk
03:17
Writer: Alex Warren - Adam Yaron - Cal Shapiro / Composers: Alex Warren - Adam Yaron - Cal Shapiro
Access the complete album info (65 songs)
Modern Alternative
2021 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group
05-02-2021
Modern Alternative
01
Talk Through the Night
D.I.D.
Modern Alternative
03:38
02
Tempo (Strong-Weak-Weak)
The Joy Formidable
Modern Alternative
04:43
03
Mouth
The Chain Gang Of 1974
Modern Alternative
03:58
04
Who You Think I Am
Kitten
Modern Alternative
03:44
05
Mutually Assured Destruction
Paul Thomas Saunders
Modern Alternative
03:18
06
Midnight Dancers
Wolf Gang
Modern Alternative
04:10
07
A Sight to Behold
Eisley
Modern Alternative
03:15
Access the complete album info (30 songs)
Folklore Pop
2020 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group
04-09-2020
Folklore Pop
01
You Can Rely On Me
Jason Mraz
Folklore Pop
03:42
02
Don't (Radio Edit)
Rachael Yamagata
Folklore Pop
03:04
Composers: Rachael Yamagata
03
Sirens
I'm From Barcelona
Folklore Pop
03:48
04
Lay By Me
firekid
Folklore Pop
03:12
05
Good Time Rags and Requiems
Paul Thomas Saunders
Folklore Pop
05:15
06
Whole Heart
Lori Carson
Folklore Pop
05:30
07
This Love
The Magic Numbers
Folklore Pop
05:40
Composers: Romeo Stodart
Access the complete album info (23 songs)
indie folk music
2024 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group
11-04-2024
indie folk music
01
Scared to Start
Michael Marcagi
indie folk music
02:39
Writer: Andrew Yorio - Michael Marcagi / Composers: Andrew Yorio - Michael Marcagi
02
Your New Twin Sized Bed
Death Cab For Cutie
indie folk music
03:06
Writer: Benjamin Gibbard - Nick Harmer / Composers: Benjamin Gibbard - Nick Harmer
03
Don't Fade
Vance Joy
indie folk music
03:10
Writer: Dave Bassett - Vance Joy / Composers: Dave Bassett - Vance Joy
04
It’s Called: Freefall
Rainbow Kitten Surprise
indie folk music
02:32
Writer: Ela Melo / Composers: Ela Melo
05
Your Arms
Birdy
indie folk music
03:51
Writer: Dan Priddy - Jasmine Van Den Bogaerde - Mark Crew / Composers: Dan Priddy - Jasmine Van Den Bogaerde - Mark Crew
06
No Love Like Yours
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
indie folk music
02:58
Writer: Alex Ebert / Composers: Alex Ebert
07
Talk of the Town
Dasha
indie folk music
03:14
Writer: Anna Dasha Novotny - Louis Castle - James Bairian / Composers: Anna Dasha Novotny - Louis Castle - James Bairian
Access the complete album info (40 songs)
Sad and Slow: Indie
2020 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group
28-08-2020
Sad and Slow: Indie
01
Without a Kiss
Badly Drawn Boy
Sad and Slow: Indie
05:37
Writer: Badly Drawn Boy / Composers: Badly Drawn Boy
02
Fail for You
Luke Sital-Singh
Sad and Slow: Indie
04:16
Writer: Luke Sital-Singh / Composers: Luke Sital-Singh
03
What Do I Do Now
Cardiknox
Sad and Slow: Indie
03:31
Writer: John Shanks - Lonnie Angle - Thomas Dutton / Composers: John Shanks - Lonnie Angle - Thomas Dutton
04
I Won't Give Up
Jason Mraz
Sad and Slow: Indie
04:00
Writer: Jason Mraz - Michael Natter / Composers: Jason Mraz - Michael Natter
05
Razor Blades and Hand Grenades
Josiah Leming
Sad and Slow: Indie
04:57
Writer: Josiah Leming / Composers: Josiah Leming
06
Salome
Peter Doherty
Sad and Slow: Indie
03:15
Composers: Mik Whitnall - Peter Doherty
07
What If I Leave
Rachael Yamagata
Sad and Slow: Indie
05:03
Writer: Rachael Yamagata / Composers: Rachael Yamagata
Access the complete album info (27 songs)
Alt,Country,Indie,Folk,Americana
2023 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group
19-09-2023
Alt,Country,Indie,Folk,Americana
01
Look at Us Now (Honeycomb)
Daisy Jones & The Six
Alt,Country,Indie,Folk,Americana
05:32
Writer: Blake Mills - Jason Boesel - Jonathan Rice - Marcus Mumford - Stephony Smith / Composers: Blake Mills - Jason Boesel - Jonathan Rice - Marcus Mumford - Stephony Smith
02
Celeste
Ezra Vine
Alt,Country,Indie,Folk,Americana
03:23
Writer: JOSEPH FARIS / Composers: JOSEPH FARIS
03
Solving Problems
Brent Cobb
Alt,Country,Indie,Folk,Americana
02:34
Writer: Brent Cobb - Joshua Nathan Taylor / Composers: Brent Cobb - Joshua Nathan Taylor
04
Everything Is Making You
Luke Sital-Singh
Alt,Country,Indie,Folk,Americana
03:16
Writer: Gale Paridjanian - Luke Sital-Singh - Olly Knights / Composers: Gale Paridjanian - Luke Sital-Singh - Olly Knights
05
Gone
JR JR
Alt,Country,Indie,Folk,Americana
03:47
Writer: Dan Nigro - Daniel Zott - Joshua Epstein - Mike Higgins / Composers: Dan Nigro - Daniel Zott - Joshua Epstein - Mike Higgins
06
Cool Little Bars
Ashley McBryde
Alt,Country,Indie,Folk,Americana
03:42
Writer: Ashley McBryde - Lainey Wilson - Trick Savage / Composers: Ashley McBryde - Lainey Wilson - Trick Savage
07
Hall of Fame
Gabby Barrett
Alt,Country,Indie,Folk,Americana
03:20
Writer: Adam Doleac - Gabby Barrett - Trannie Anderson - Zachary Kale / Composers: Adam Doleac - Gabby Barrett - Trannie Anderson - Zachary Kale
Access the complete album info (45 songs)
Indie Darlings
2020 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group
08-05-2020
Indie Darlings
01
Without a Kiss
Badly Drawn Boy
Indie Darlings
05:37
Writer: Badly Drawn Boy / Composers: Badly Drawn Boy
02
Reflektor
Echosmith
Indie Darlings
04:51
Writer: Arcade Fire / Composers: Arcade Fire
03
Back to Back
Wolf Gang
Indie Darlings
04:14
Writer: Max McElligott / Composers: Max McElligott
04
Daybreaker
Beth Orton
Indie Darlings
03:55
Writer: Beth Orton / Composers: Beth Orton
05
You Are Invisible
Anya Marina
Indie Darlings
03:51
Writer: Anya Marina / Composers: Anya Marina
06
Sheepskin Tearaway
Peter Doherty
Indie Darlings
02:42
Writer: Dot Allison - Peter Doherty / Composers: Dot Allison - Peter Doherty
07
Fire Escape
Fanfarlo
Indie Darlings
02:59
Writer: C. lucas - L. Beckenham - L. Finch - M. West - Memon - S. Balthazar / Composers: C. lucas - L. Beckenham - L. Finch - M. West - Memon - S. Balthazar
Access the complete album info (27 songs)
Weekend Indie
2019 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group
14-06-2019
Weekend Indie
01
Live for the Weekend
3OH!3
Weekend Indie
03:52
02
Good Girls Go Bad
Cobra Starship
Weekend Indie
03:16
Composers: Alex Suarez - Cobra Starship - Gabe Saporta - J. Kasher - K. DioGuardi - K. Rudolf - Nate Novarro - Ryland Blackinton - Victoria Asher
03
Living for the Weekend
Hard-Fi
Weekend Indie
03:42
04
Clothes Off!!
Gym Class Heroes
Weekend Indie
03:55
Composers: Preston Glass
05
Sunburns
Fences
Weekend Indie
03:49
06
Rich Girls
The Virgins
Weekend Indie
03:00
Composers: The Virgins
07
Dirty Laundry
All Time Low
Weekend Indie
03:17
Access the complete album info (27 songs)
Post-Punk Revival
2020 Warner Music Group - X5 Music Group
21-02-2020
Post-Punk Revival
01
Decent Days and Nights
The Futureheads
Post-Punk Revival
02:32
Composers: Barry Hyde - Craig David - David Hyde - Ross Millard
02
Let's Dance to Joy Division
The Wombats
Post-Punk Revival
03:12
Composers: The Wombats
03
Two Doors Down
Mystery Jets
Post-Punk Revival
03:39
04
Cash Machine (Radio Edit)
Hard-Fi
Post-Punk Revival
03:46
Composers: Richard Archer
05
Austere
The Joy Formidable
Post-Punk Revival
03:30
06
Spotlight
Mutemath
Post-Punk Revival
03:21
07
Drunk Girls
LCD Soundsystem
Post-Punk Revival
03:42
Composers: Gavin Russom - James Murphy - Pat Mahoney
Access the complete album info (25 songs)