Family proud to see photo of Selkirk singer-songwriter Scott Hutchison go on show

An on-stage photograph of the Frightened Rabbit frontman can now be seen in between images of fellow pop star Annie Lennox and actor Alan Cumming.

The shot acquired by the National Galleries of Scotland shows Hutchison during a guest appearance at a book launch at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the Royal Mile in the capital.

Taken by Edinburgh-based photographer Ryan McGoverne in 2014, it was picked by his family.

Hutchison’s brothers Grant and Neil and parents Ron and Marion were there to see the black-and-white picture put up ahead of it going on permanent public display.

Grant, Frightened Rabbit’s drummer, said: “When people came to see us, it was as much about what happened in between the songs as what happened during them.

“It’s highly appropriate that this photograph was taken at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. We would sometimes have to wait for five or 10 minutes for him to finish a story between songs.

“For us, the image really captures the person, beyond the singer of the band.

“The guy on stage, the guy in the green room and the guy in the pub were pretty much the same person.”

Mum Marion said: “We are incredibly proud of this, although obviously it is tinged with sadness.

“Since Scott died, the response to his death, and his life, has just been absolutely overwhelming.”

Dad Ron added: “It is wonderful, but it’s also hard. It’s yet another reminder that Scott is not here.”

Mr McGoverne said: “A live shot shows the personality of whoever is being photographed. They are not aware. They are in their element. They are not self-conscious about being photographed.

“Fame can dehumanise people, even in the eyes of their fans.

“Scott always seemed a completely real human being. This image shows that. He isn’t performing in any way.

“Scott is chatting away with that big smile on his face and is very relaxed in this image.

“It really sets it apart from what you normally think of as a gallery image.”

Hutchison’s family launched a mental health charity called Tiny Changes in May this year to mark the first anniversary of his death at the age of 36, and it has raised more than £300,000 to date.

Mrs Hutchison added: “I kind of knew almost immediately after Scott’s death that we would have to do something.

“There’s never been any stigma attached Scott’s death, but that’s not the case with most families who have been in that situation. People cross the road to avoid them and don’t really want to know about it. We’ve had the opposite experience but still the same one.

“We launched the charity on the anniversary of Scott’s death. We were grieving a lot then and we still are now, but people just seemed to want to make a connection and hold onto something.”

Grant, 36, said: “The one thing that has stuck with me since just after Scott died was something mum had said about all the other people who had taken their own lives and their families.

“We had a lot of support from fans and the police and offers to raise money for us. We had endless amounts of support, but mum was thinking about people who did not have access to that and would no be able to voice their feelings in the way that we could.

“Now we have experience of this and know what it’s like, I can’t even imagine doing this without the support that we’ve had, but that is happening for other people every day.”