Moddi

Pål Moddi Lue (previously Pål Moddi Knutsen ) (born 18 February 1987 in Senja), known by the artist name Moddi, is a Norwegian musician, author and activist, whose contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest or social justice.

Background Pål Lue grew up on the island of Senja in Northern Norway. As a child, he showed a particular concern for the environment, an interest which would come to shape his musical direction in the years to come. During high school, Lue was leading the local chapter of the environmentalist group Nature and Youth. "My first songs were an attempt to give a voice to the voiceless nature", he later explained about his motivation to create music.

Musical career The first release under the name of Moddi was recorded in 2007 and distributed in 20 home-made copies. Later followed the debut album Floriography, recorded with producer Valgeir Sigurðsson in Iceland and containing songs from Lue's period in Nature and Youth. Q magazine described the album as "irrevocably heart-warming and beautifully constructed piece of melancholic folk-pop". On his second album, Moddi presented the single "House By The Sea", his best known composition to date.

The same year saw the release of Kæm va du? ("Who were you?"), with lyrics borrowed from the Northern Norwegian poets such as Arvid Hanssen, Helge Stangnes and Ola Bremnes. The album also included the single "Togsang", a reinterpretation of Vashti Bunyans 60s cult hit "Train Song". Bunyan later commented that Moddi's was her favourite cover version of any of her songs. Kæm va du? won the Spellemannprisen award for "Folk Album of the Year".

In 2016, Moddi released his fourth studio album, "Unsongs", consisting of Moddi's reinterpretations and translations of banned and censored songs from 12 different countries. Among the artists included on the album were Pussy Riot (Russia), Izhar Ashdot (Israel), Mari Boine (Norway/Sápmi), Liu Xiaobo (China) and Kate Bush (UK). Following the release, Moddi published the book "Forbudte sanger" (Forbidden songs) where he described a number of attempts to hold back the songs on the album, among others by Russian and Lebanese authorities, and by the British public broadcaster BBC.

In 2019, Moddi released his fifth studio album "Like in 1968", inspired by the events that occurred in 1968.

Activism Moddi is known for bringing his strong political commitment into his music. In January 2010 Moddi refused nomination for the €100 000 Statoil grant on environmental grounds, commenting that a nomination would not be compatible with his environmental engagement. In 2014 Moddi announced that he would be cancelling his scheduled concert in Tel Aviv, Israel, on the grounds that he would not be taken to support the Israeli expansion of settlements in the West Bank. He did not officially endorse any organised appeal, stating that "the debate is already way too black and white".

When Moddi released his version of the Pussy Riot song Punk Prayer in 2016, he did so by recording a music video on the doorstep of the King Oscar II Chapel, marking the Northern border between Norway and Russia. On his concert in Kirkenes the same year, Moddi was pressured into dropping the same song after indirect pressure from Russian diplomats.

Education Pål Moddi Lue has a master's degree from the Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM) at the University of Oslo. In his master thesis "Visions through the smelting furnace", he studied the Norwegian smelting plant Finnfjord in their course towards a carbon-neutral ferrosilicon production process.

Discography

Studio albums TitleProduced by Details Peak chart positionsNOR FloriographyValgeir Sigurðsson Released: 8 February 2010 Label: Impeller Formats: Digital download, CD 9Set the House on FireHasse Rosbach Released: 8 March 2013 Label: Propeller Formats: Digital download, CD 10Kæm va du?Hasse Rosbach Released: 11 October 2013 Label: Propeller Formats: Digital download, CD 5UnsongsHasse Rosbach Released: 16 September 2016 Label: Propeller Formats: Digital download, CD 8 Like in 1968Hasse Rosbach Released: 13 September 2019 Label: Propeller Formats: Digital download, CD — Bråtebrann Released: 10 June 2022 Label: Propeller Formats: LP, Digital download —

Extended plays Title Details Random Skywriting Released: 2007 Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download Rubato(Split LP with Einar Stray) Released: 2008 Label: Playground, Spoon Train Audio Formats: Digital download Rubbles Released: 15 October 2010 Label: Propeller Formats: Digital download Music for Frankenstein Released: 12 March 2015 Label: Nordland teater Formats: Digital download

Live albums Title Details Live Parkteateret Released: 2009 Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download Live at Jakob Church of Culture Released: 22 September 2014 Label: Propeller Formats: Digital download

Singles Year Title Album 2009 "Nordnorsk julesalme" 2011 "Ardennes" Floriography "Thimbleweed" "Smoke" Floriography 2013 "House by the Sea" Set the House on Fire "Run to the Water" "Grønt Lauv I Snyen" Kæm va du? "En Sang Om Fly" 2014 "Sola" "Train Song" "Eli Geva" Unsongs 2015 "Silhouette" Set the House on Fire 2016 "Punk Prayer" Unsongs "Army Dreamers" "A Matter of Habit" 2019 "Little By Little" Like in 1968 "Kriegspiel" "New Dawn" 2020 "Haus am Meer"

Other appearances Year Artist Album Notes 2009 Kråkesølv Trådnøsting Accordion 2011 Einar Stray Chiaroscuro Vocals Synne Sanden When Nobody's Around Thomas Dybdahl Før morgengry Accordion 2019 På Stengrunn Underveis Vocals På Stengrunn På Gjensyn Accordion

Other releases 2010 – Hjertestups withTogsang (Tyrili) 2010 – Samleplate for oljefritt Lofoten, Vesterålen og Senja with the song Krokstav-emne 2011 – Vi tenner våre lykter with the song Nordnorsk julesalme 2012 – Norge, mitt Norge..? with the songs Det stig av hav eit oljeland and Deilig er Norden 2015 – Fabler om en åpen folkekirke with the song Vær hilset, fru Bjerkås!