FRIGHTENED Rabbit ­drummer Grant Hutchison has spoken of his heartbreak at marrying the love of his life without brother and ­bandmate Scott Hutchison by his side.

Grant, 34, tied the knot with his partner Jaye at an intimate ceremony in New York surrounded by their loved ones last week.

The couple decided to hold the wedding outside of ­Scotland to detract from the notable absence of their much-loved brother and friend.

Talented musician Scott took his own life in May, aged just 36, following an ongoing battle with depression and anxiety.

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“We kept it kind of small and part of the reason for going to New York was to keep it that way, which helped even though it made his absence slightly more obvious”, Grant explains.

“I’ve been going to counselling which helped me prepare a lot for what was to come.

“My counsellor worked on the trip and the day, making sure I was prepared for anything that might come up or any emotions that might try to take over what you’re supposed to feel on your wedding day.

“Having everyone around me and my wife was great, and everyone was in the same boat.

“It was very difficult and there were a lot of emotions surrounding that to deal with, but if anyone needed to take a moment, it was important that they did.”

The sudden death of Scott, who was both a solo artist and founding member of Frightened Rabbit, was met with an outpouring of grief from around the world, which still continues to be felt nearly six months later.

Thousands of followers posted heartfelt tributes to the Selkirk-born songwriter who dedicated his life’s work to creating emotionally raw music that helped others deal with their own struggles.

Bandmates Billy Kennedy, Andy Monaghan and Simon Liddell are preparing to join Grant for what could be one of their last performances as a band, at Glasgow’s Sleep in the Park.

After debating whether to pull out of the show, booked prior to Scott’s death, they decided instead to curate something special in his memory.

With help from friends and fellow musicians including Kathryn Joseph and James Graham and Andy MacFarlane of The Twilight Sad, a set featuring the music of Frightened Rabbit will be going ahead – a year after they performed as a five-piece at the inaugural event.

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“Scott’s music will never disappear and, in terms of us touring or getting another singer, that’s never going to happen”, Grant says.

“This is a special one-off. It’s not like we’re going to repeat this yearly.

“We’ll probably never do something like this ever again or at least anytime soon.

“But something where we could spread positive messages and encourage people to be aware of what’s happening in their own city, whether that’s homelessness or mental health, is something we all wanted to do.

“We played at Belladrum festival with Billy and The Charlatans over the summer and that was a terrifying experience but it was a positive one overall. It made me feel terribly sad, but it felt good and you could tell there was a lot of happiness in the crowd.

“That’s something we want to keep going.

“A lot of people aren’t aware that homelessness has links to mental health and the impact things like that can have on a person.”

Scott’s heartbroken family, including parents Marion and Ron Hutchison and brother Neil, have set up The Scott Hutchison Fund, which will form the basis for a mental health charity to be launched fully in the coming months.

Read more: 'His death has devastated my family': Brother of Scott Hutchinson to run half marathon in his memory

The family have said they hope to be able to help others the way Scott did, with “kindness, empathy and hope”.

“I want to make sure that no-one has to go through what Scott did, whether it’s through his life or the way that he died”, Grant adds. “I want to promote the fact that there are other options for people who feel that there is no other way, and just to raise awareness for people who, like myself, don’t have the empathy having never really suffered in the same way.

“The thing for me is getting everyone on board to understand how serious this disease is and educating everyone on how to deal

with it.”

Nicknamed ‘frightened rabbit’ by his mum as a youngster due to his chronic shyness and withdrawal in social situations, Scott’s story is the inspiration behind the charity’s focus on educating children at an early age. In hindsight, his brother believes the shyness could have been an indication of a mental illness, rather than just a personality trait.

He hopes to use their charity as a platform to reach children who are suffering.

Grant explains: “For me the most important area would be young people because it’s something that’s happening a lot more in younger people. It’s now something that’s being diagnosed and parents and teachers are noticing a lot more.

“I think to go and do something with kids before it becomes a problem as big as Scott had would be a great thing.”

As well as dedicating his time to the charity and beginning married life, Grant is heading out on tour with friends The Twilight Sad for the first time since Scott’s death.

Read more: 'His death has devastated my family': Brother of Scott Hutchinson to run half marathon in his memory

The brothers were due to tour with members of Editors and Minor Victories, in an “indie supergroup”, Mastersystem, who released their sole album a month earlier.

For Frightened Rabbit, the future is unknown but the band will be releasing music recorded with Scott early next year.