Fretwell attended St. Augustine Webster Primary School in Scunthorpe and St. Bede's Catholic School in Ashby before furthering his study at John Leggott College. It was in his teenage years that he started his first band, named Label. After moving to Salford in Fretwell, he started to earn notices in NME and Q. During this period songs such as "Emily" and "What’s That You Say Little Girl?" were first written.