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Aidan Moffat

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Not to be confused withAiden Moffat.

Aidan Moffat
Moffat with Arab Strap in 2004
Moffat withArab Strapin 2004
Background information
Birth nameAidan John Moffat
Born(1973-04-10)10 April 1973(age 51)
OriginFalkirk,Scotland
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Years active1991–present
LabelsChemikal Underground
Websitehttp:// aidanmoffat.co.uk

Aidan John Moffat(born 10 April 1973) is a Scottish vocalist and musician, and member of the bandArab Strap.

Early life[edit]

Moffat was born and raised inFalkirk,Scotland. The first album he bought wasElvis Sings for KidsbyElvis Presley.[1]Whilst atFalkirk High School,he listened to such groups asPixies,Dinosaur Jr.andSlint.[2]His first ever gig was at the age of 16, and sawDavid ByrneatGlasgow Barrowlandsin 1989.[1]In 1990, aged 17, he was expelled from school, with noHigher Qualifications.[1]He then worked for four years at an independent record shop called Sleeves Records,[3]resigning one morning in 1996, due to having a hangover and wanting to go home.[4]

Career[edit]

Arab Strap[edit]

Main article:Arab Strap (band)

In 1995, Moffat and multi-instrumentalistMalcolm Middletonbegan making music under the nameArab Strap.They sent in demo cassettes to record a number of record companies;Chemikal Undergroundwere the only to reply, and they were soon signed to them. They released six albums together, beginning with 1995'sThe Week Never Starts Round Here,before announcing their break up in 2006.

Moffat and Middleton briefly reunited in November 2011 for a gig as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of Glasgow venue Nice N Sleazy. They reunited again in 2016, for three shows at London's Electric Brixton, Manchester's O2 Ritz and Glasgow's Barrowlands Ballroom. A second Glasgow show was added after the first one sold out in under half an hour, along with a warm-up show in Newcastle. On 24 November 2020 the band announced they had reunited to record a new album,As Days Get Dark.The album was released on 5 March 2021 and was followed by extensive touring in the UK, Europe and Australia.[5]

Outside Arab Strap[edit]

From 1991 to 1996, Moffat recorded with a band called The Angry Buddhists, which consisted of himself, Gavin Moffat, Stuart the Postman, "Cheg" Taylor and The Stobe. They recorded "over 40 songs on dictaphones and 4-tracks", but never played live. Moffat was also the drummer in Bay, a band who released two albums:Happy Being Different(1994) andAlison Rae(1995).[6]

Aidan Moffat & the Best-Ofs are a four-piece band fronted by Moffat. They played their first gig supporting American bandSlintat theGlasgow ABCin Scotland, where they debuted the songs "Big Blonde", "The Last Kiss", "Ballad of the Unsent Letter", "Living With You Now" and "Atheist's Lament". Their first album, titledHow to Get to Heaven From Scotland,was released on 3 March 2009.

Instrumental albums[edit]

In 2002, after being challenged by Middleton to record a solo album,[7]Moffat releasedHypnogogiaunder the nameLucky Pierre.In 2005, after changing his stage name toL. Pierre,Moffat released the album calledTouchpool,followed byDipin 2007. In 2013 he released firstThe Island Come True,then in July another full album,The Eternalist,which was made available for free online and recorded usingVine.Unlike his work with Middleton, the albums are entirely instrumental, making extensive use offield recordingsand "found sound."[8]

In 2020 Moffat releasedAux pieds de la nuit,a newambientalbum, under the nameNyx Nótt.Thenom de plumeis a combination ofNyxandNótt,goddesses of the night fromGreekandNorsemythology, respectively; Moffat, a lifelong sufferer of insomnia, recorded each record after his family had gone to bed. He released a second album under the name,Themes From,in 2022. Originally conceived as "twenty 90-second tracks designed as TV themes," Moffatt soon expanded the theme, sourcing samples from professional TV and film music libraries.[9]

Collaborations[edit]

Moffat provided guest vocals on theMogwaisong "R U Still in 2 It"fromMogwai Young Team,recorded in thesame studioinHamilton) where the Arab Strap were recordingThe Week Never Starts Round Here.He also contributed vocals to "Now You're Taken"from4 Satin,and the band dedicated a song to him, "Waltz for Aidan", on their second album,Come on Die Young.In 2002, Moffat,Stuart Braithwaitefrom Mogwai and Colin "Sheepy" McPherson released an eponymous EP under the nameThe Sick Anchors.

In 2011 Moffat and pianist, bassist and former Arab Strap collaboratorBill WellsreleasedEverything's Getting Older,which in June 2012 won the firstScottish Album of the Year (SAY) Awardfrom the Scottish Music Industry Association.[10]A second album,The Most Important Place in the World,followed in 2015.

In May 2018 Moffat released a joint album with longtime friend and collaboratorRM HubberttitledHere Lies the Body.Originally intended as a one-off, within a year they went on to release a Christmas album,Ghost Stories for Christmas,a live album, and a concluding single, "Cut to Black".

In 2022 Moffat andThe Twilight Sadfrontman James Graham released a collaborative album under the nameGentle Sinners.The album,These Actions Cannot Be Undone,was recorded during theCOVID-19 lockdownsin 2021 and reflects the anxiety of those times. It was released digitally and on CD in May and on vinyl in September 2022.[11]

Writing[edit]

Moffat used his own name for his 2007 poetry album,I Can Hear Your Heart.In 2009 He wrote an advice column for the online magazineThe Quietus,[12]returning for a one-off Valentine's special to promote his first record as Nyx Nótt. He has also irregularly contributed reviews and commentary to the site, including reflections on aGirls Aloudconcert and his thoughts onStar Wars: The Force Awakens.

Where You're Meant To Be[edit]

In 2016 Moffat appeared in the documentaryWhere You're Meant to Be,in which he toured Scotland performing his reinterpretations of traditional Scottish folk songs. The film, directed by Paul Fegan, also features the traditional singerSheila Stewartwho is critical of the project, viewing it as disrespecting the tradition. She ultimately performs alongside Moffat during a show at theGlasgow Barrowlands.[13]

Personal life[edit]

Moffat lives inGlasgowwith his partner and two children, a boy and a girl.[14]

He is known for his distinctive facial hair, which he has commented on, saying

I decided as a young man I would never shave again, after a few accidents with a razor. Since then, I've always preferred a bit of hair. I don't know if I'dlose any powerand I doubt that I'll ever find that out.[15]

Albums[edit]

  • Hypnogogia(as Lucky Pierre) Melodic 2002
  • Touchpool(as L. Pierre) Melodic 2005
  • Dip(as L. Pierre) Melodic 2007
  • I Can Hear Your HeartChemikal 2007
  • How To Get To Heaven From Scotland(as Aidan Moffat & the Best-Ofs) 2009
  • Everything's Getting Older(withBill Wells) 2011
  • The Island Come True(as L. Pierre) 2013
  • The Eternalist(as L. Pierre) 2013
  • Vagrants_09_142015
  • The Most Important Place in the World(with Bill Wells) 2015
  • Where You're Meant To Be(live/soundtrack album) 2016
  • Here Lies the Body(withRM Hubbert) 2018
  • Ghost Stories for Christmas(with RM Hubbert) 2018
  • Aux pieds de la nuit(as Nyx Nótt) 2020
  • These Actions Cannot Be Undone(withJames Graham,as Gentle Sinners) 2022

References[edit]

  1. ^abc"Aidan Moffat Interview inAmplifier Magazine".Archived fromthe originalon 7 July 2011.Retrieved3 March2007.
  2. ^L. Pierre interview withBarcodeArchived26 September 2007 at theWayback Machine
  3. ^Falkirk Music Scene Bay BiographyArchived8 July 2007 at theWayback Machine
  4. ^Aidan Moffat article inSunday Herald,3 December 2006
  5. ^"Arab Strap Announce New Album as Days Get Dark, Share Song".Pitchfork.24 November 2020.
  6. ^"Aidan Moffat".Aidan Moffat. Archived fromthe originalon 6 August 2013.Retrieved29 January2016.
  7. ^L. Pierre Interview with musicOHM
  8. ^"L. Pierre: The Island Come True Album Review".Pitchfork.Retrieved23 January2023.
  9. ^Eede, Christian (10 November 2022)."Aidan Moffat Details Second Album From Solo Project Nyx Nótt".The Quietus.
  10. ^UK."Scottish Album of the Year award".Retrieved19 June2012.
  11. ^Clarke, Patrick (17 March 2022)."Arab Strap and Twilight Sad supergroup Gentle Sinners on their debut album".NME.
  12. ^"The Quietus".The Quietus.Retrieved29 January2016.
  13. ^Ide, Wendy (19 June 2016)."Where You're Meant To Be Review".The Guardian.Retrieved8 July2016.
  14. ^"Aidan John Moffat on Twitter:" 1. Apparently today's the day we're all supposed to boycott Twitter – I didn't even know, I've been too busy enjoying my new baby girl.... "".Twitter.Retrieved29 January2016.
  15. ^Arab Strap interview inThe SkinnyArchived27 September 2007 at theWayback Machine

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aidan_Moffat&oldid=1212304397"