Skáld (band)

Lore & Background

Skáld was formed in 2018 by producer Christophe Voisin-Boisvinet with Justine Galmiche, Pierrick Valence, and Mattjö Haussy. Their name comes from the Old Norse word for a skald, a poet who composed skaldic poetry in Viking Age courts. Their first EP, released in August 2018, included three songs: Gleipnir, Ódinn, and Rún. These tracks later appeared on their debut album Vikings Chant, released on 25 January 2019 by Decca. A re-issue titled Vikings Chant (Alfar Fagrahvél Edition) followed in September 2019 with additional covers and new tracks.

In February 2020, Mattjö Haussy left to pursue the project Hrafngrímr. The second album Vikings Memories was released on 9 October 2020, with Justine Galmiche and Pierrick Valence as official members. Pierrick Valence departed after that album. In October 2021, the single Jólanótt preceded the EP Winter Songs, released on 29 October 2021, featuring Justine Galmiche as the only official member besides composer Christophe Voisin-Boisvinet.

In June 2022, Justine Galmiche left due to undisclosed health reasons. She was replaced by singer Chaos Heidi for the summer tour, alongside new members Steeve Petit, Marti Ilmar Uibo, Ravn, and Julien Loko. The third album Huldufólk was announced on 20 September 2022 and released on 20 January 2023, featuring a new line-up. Chaos Heidi left before the album's release and was substituted as lead singer by Lily Jung during the European tour in October 2022.

Reader's Guide

Skáld occupies a distinctive niche in the Nordic folk scene by combining traditional instruments—such as shamanic drums, lyre, talharpa, citole, jouhikko, and nyckelharpa—with lyrics drawn primarily from Old Norse texts, especially the Poetic Edda. Their repertoire focuses on Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore, with albums centered on themes like gods and Valhalla (Vikings Chant), water and sea voyagers (Vikings Memories), and hidden folk and woodland creatures (Huldufólk). The band's use of multiple Nordic languages, including Old Norse, modern Icelandic, Faroese, Norwegian, and Swedish, adds authenticity to their sound. Despite frequent lineup changes—including the departure of original members Mattjö Haussy, Pierrick Valence, and Justine Galmiche—the group has maintained a consistent artistic direction under composer Christophe Voisin-Boisvinet. Their work has helped popularize Norse-themed music in a modern context, and their albums have been released on the Decca label. The band's significance lies in their scholarly approach to adapting ancient texts into contemporary folk music, bridging historical Norse culture with modern audiences.

Did You Know?

• Their first EP, released in August 2018, contained three songs: Gleipnir, Ódinn, and Rún.
• The third album Huldufólk takes its title from the hidden people of Icelandic and Faroese folklore.
• The band uses instruments dating back to the 14th century, including shamanic drums, lyre, talharpa, citole, jouhikko, and nyckelharpa.

Origins & The Meaning Behind the Name

Skáld was brought together in 2018 by producer Christophe Voisin-Boisvinet alongside vocalists Justine Galmiche, Pierrick Valence, and Mattjö Haussy. From the outset, their creative mission was to breathe life into Norse myths and legends through song, with Old Norse serving as their primary linguistic vehicle. The band's name is a deliberate nod to the Old Norse term for a skald—the court poets of the Viking Age who crafted elaborate skaldic verse. Their first EP arrived in August 2018, carrying three compositions: Gleipnir, Ódinn, and Rún. Those same three tracks would go on to anchor their debut full-length, Vikings Chant, issued on 25 January 2019 through Decca. The following September saw a reissue titled Vikings Chant (Alfar Fagrahvél Edition), broadened with three additional cover versions and two freshly written pieces, giving early listeners a more complete picture of the project's ambitions.

Sound, Language & Instrumentation

The group's sonic identity rests on a palette of Norse traditional instruments whose lineage stretches back to the fourteenth century. Their arrangements feature shamanic drums, lyre, talharpa, citole, jouhikko, and nyckelharpa, producing a texture that feels both ancient and immediate. Lyrically, the material is drawn from Norse source texts, initially re-adapted by Voisin-Boisvinet working solo before Anna Scussel joined the writing partnership in 2021. Although Old Norse dominates, the band also writes in modern Icelandic, Faroese, Norwegian, and Swedish, and has occasionally rendered well-known songs in English and German. Thematically, each album carves out a distinct corner of the Nordic world: Vikings Chant spotlighted major deities such as Odin and Freyja, Valhalla, and the world-tree Yggdrasil, pulling heavily from the Poetic Edda. Vikings Memories turned its gaze to the sea, gathering songs about mythological marine beings, sea-kings, and explorers like Yngvar víðförla. Huldufólk shifted the setting into the forest, orbiting around trolls, elves, skogsrå, and dragons drawn from Icelandic and Faroese folk tradition.

Lineup Turbulence & Constant Reinvention

Skáld's journey has been punctuated by a series of significant personnel shifts. Mattjö Haussy stepped away in February 2020 to pursue his own musical project, Hrafngrímr. Pierrick Valence departed shortly after Vikings Memories landed in October of that year. By the time the Winter Songs EP appeared in October 2021, Galmiche was the sole official vocalist working alongside Voisin-Boisvinet. The most abrupt change came in June 2022, when Galmiche announced her exit for undisclosed health reasons just ahead of the summer tour. Singer Chaos Heidi filled in for that run, touring with newly added members Steeve Petit, Marti Ilmar Uibo, Ravn, and Julien Loko. Yet before the January 2023 release of Huldufólk, Heidi herself left, and Lily Jung assumed the lead vocal role for the October 2022 European dates. The present touring roster now features Marie Potosniak on lead vocals and fiddles, Guillaume Levy on bouzouki, and additional contributors Ravn, Kohann, Laetitia Marcangeli, and uRYa, each bringing a distinct instrument or vocal color to the ensemble.

Discography & Cultural Footprint

From the 2018 debut EP through the forthcoming 2026 album Ørlǫg, Skáld has assembled a catalog that traces the full breadth of Nordic cultural imagination. Four studio albums—Vikings Chant (2019), its expanded Alfar Fagrahvél Edition (2019), Vikings Memories (2020), and Huldufólk (2023)—are complemented by two EPs and a steady stream of singles. Tracks such as Fimbulvetr (2020), Jólanótt (2021), and Troll Kalla Mik (2022) functioned as advance previews of upcoming projects, while covers including 'Seven Nation Army' and 'Du Hast' showed the band's comfort reinterpreting familiar songs through a distinctly Nordic filter. The 2026 singles Draumakona and Himinbjǫrg signal that the creative exploration is far from exhausted. Distributed through Decca and sustained by an active European touring circuit, the group has carved out a singular niche: a French ensemble channeling the poetic and mythological heritage of the North, keeping the spirit of skaldic storytelling alive for contemporary audiences.

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