Aidan Moffat

Biography

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

Early life

Moffat was born and raised in Falkirk, Scotland. The first album he bought was Elvis Sings for Kids by Elvis Presley. Whilst at Falkirk High School, he listened to such groups as Pixies, Dinosaur Jr. and Slint. His first ever gig was at the age of 16, and saw David Byrne at Glasgow Barrowlands in 1989. In 1990, aged 17, he was expelled from school, with no Higher Qualifications. He then worked for four years at an independent record shop called Sleeves Records, resigning one morning in 1996, due to having a hangover and wanting to go home.

Arab Strap

In 1995, Moffat and multi-instrumentalist Malcolm Middleton began making music under the name Arab Strap. They sent in demo cassettes to a number of record companies; Chemikal Underground was the only one to reply, and they soon signed to them. They released six albums together, beginning with 1995's The 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.

Outside Arab Strap

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) and Alison Rae (1995).
Aidan Moffat & the Best-Ofs are a four-piece band fronted by Moffat. They played their first gig supporting American band Slint at the Glasgow ABC in 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, titled How to Get to Heaven From Scotland×How to Get to Heaven From Scotland14 February 2009 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Lover's Song2:182Big Blonde2:033Atheist's Lament4:064Oh Men!3:085A Scenic Route to the Isle of Ewe5:246That's Just Love1:467Ballad of the Unsent Letter3:548Now I Know I'm Right4:319The Last Kiss2:4310Lullaby for Unborn Child2:4911Living With You Now3:3812My Goodbye1:16, was released on 3 March 2009.

Instrumental albums

In 2002, after being challenged by Middleton to record a solo album, Moffat released Hypnogogia under the name Lucky Pierre. In 2005, after changing his stage name to L. Pierre, Moffat released the album called Touchpool, followed by Dip in 2007. In 2013 he released first The Island Come True, then in July another full album, The Eternalist, which was made available for free online and recorded using Vine. Unlike his work with Middleton, the albums are entirely instrumental, making extensive use of field recordings and "found sound."
In 2020 Moffat released Aux pieds de la nuit, a new ambient album, under the name Nyx Nótt. The nom de plume is a combination of Nyx and Nótt, goddesses of the night from Greek and Norse mythology, 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.

Collaborations

Moffat provided guest vocals on the Mogwai song "R U Still in 2 It" from Mogwai Young Team, recorded in the same studio in Hamilton) where the Arab Strap were recording The Week Never Starts Round Here. He also contributed vocals to "Now You're Taken" from 4 Satin, and the band dedicated a song to him, "Waltz for Aidan", on their second album, Come on Die Young. In 2002, Moffat, Stuart Braithwaite from Mogwai and Colin "Sheepy" McPherson released an eponymous EP under the name The Sick Anchors.
In 2011 Moffat and pianist, bassist and former Arab Strap collaborator Bill Wells released Everything's Getting Older, which in June 2012 won the first Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award from the Scottish Music Industry Association. A second album, The Most Important Place in the World×The Most Important Place In The World16 March 2015 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1On The Motorway2:582VHS-C1:173Lock Up Your Lambs2:544This Dark Desire3:135The Tangle Of Us3:506Any Other Mirror4:077The Unseen Man3:158Vanilla2:489Street Pastor Colloquy, 3am3:5710The Eleven Year Glitch3:4811Far From You2:5912We're Still Here3:59, followed in 2015.
In May 2018 Moffat released a joint album with longtime friend and collaborator RM Hubbert titled Here Lies the Body×Here Lies the Body11 May 2018 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Cockcrow3:352Mz. Locum3:243She Runs4:034Quantum Theory Love Song2:455Wolves of the Wood1:596Keening for a Dead Love3:257Zoltar Speaks2:428Party On3:499Everything Goes4:1010Fringe4:43. Originally intended as a one-off, within a year they went on to release a Christmas album, Ghost Stories for Christmas×Ghost Stories for Christmas7 December 2018 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Fireside2:142A Ghost Story for Christmas4:033Desire Path2:564Such Shall You Be2:125Lonely This Christmas4:206Weihnachtsstimmung2:537The Fir Tree4:078Only You3:359Ode to Plastic Mistletoe3:2510The Recurrence of Dickens4:02, a live album, and a concluding single, "Cut to Black".
In 2022 Moffat and The Twilight Sad frontman James Graham released a collaborative album under the name Gentle Sinners. The album, These Actions Cannot Be Undone, was recorded during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2021 and reflects the anxiety of those times. It was released digitally and on CD in May and on vinyl in September 2022.

Writing

Moffat used his own name for his 2007 poetry album, I Can Hear Your Heart×I Can Hear Your Heart21 January 2008 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 24 tracks1Intro & Instructions0:502Atmos0:503Cunts1:014Nothing in Common0:535Hopelessly Devoted0:296Super Sexxxy Real Live!1:137Party at Your Boyfriend's1:018Monday, Fantasy Time0:3794Sex Message 10:1910Fuck It1:0611Good Morning1:5012All the Love You Need0:5313You Took It Well1:2014International Valentine1:23154Sex Message 20:0716I'm Not Bitter1:2617The Boy That You Love1:5218A Very Short Song1:0019Double Justice1:3620I Will Walk1:5621Beak1:1322Hungry Heart1:4723View From the Kitchen1:3124Hilary and Back10:21. In 2009 He wrote an advice column for the online magazine The Quietus, 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 a Girls Aloud concert and his thoughts on Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Where You're Meant To Be

In 2016 Moffat appeared in the documentary Where 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 singer Sheila Stewart who is critical of the project, viewing it as disrespecting the tradition. She ultimately performs alongside Moffat during a show at the Glasgow Barrowlands.

Personal life

Moffat lives in Glasgow with his partner and two children, a boy and a girl.
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'd lose any power and I doubt that I'll ever find that out.

Albums

Hypnogogia (as Lucky Pierre) Melodic 2002
Touchpool (as L. Pierre) Melodic 2005
Dip (as L. Pierre) Melodic 2007
I Can Hear Your Heart Chemikal 2007
How To Get To Heaven From Scotland (as Aidan Moffat & the Best-Ofs) 2009
Everything's Getting Older (with Bill Wells) 2011
The Island Come True (as L. Pierre) 2013
The Eternalist (as L. Pierre) 2013
Vagrants_09_14 2015
The Most Important Place in the World (with Bill Wells) 2015
Where You're Meant To Be (live/soundtrack album) 2016
1948 — (as L. Pierre) 2017
Here Lies the Body (with RM Hubbert) 2018
Ghost Stories for Christmas (with RM Hubbert) 2018
Aux pieds de la nuit (as Nyx Nótt) 2020
These Actions Cannot Be Undone (with James Graham, as Gentle Sinners) 2022