Figrin D'an and his band come from the planet Clak'dor VII, a planet in orbiting the white star Colu in the Mayagil Sector. Their species are known as Bith, and they make excellent musicians. They have oversized craniums, which hold larger brains than most species. Clak'dor was devastated generations before by a chemical war, but since then the Bith have advanced quickly on the evolutionary scale. Their brains are attuned for the arts and sciences, but have a small capacity for fear and aggression.
Their heads are not the only strange features of the average Bith. They have five fingers on each hand, but both their thumbs and little fingers are fully opposable. They have unique respiratory systems, which allow the extraction of all the useable molecules from each breath. This then allows waste gases to be expelled through the skin. Bith also have lidless eyes, which are large and have the ability to focus on tiny details for hours at a time.
On their home planet, the Bith have a society that is peaceful, advanced, and well structured. When they mate, it is done entirely through computers, disallowing the possibility of birth defects. The government members are chosen through computer analysis, making sure that only those with the best ability be allowed to help govern the planet.
Figrin recognised his ability to play good music, and wanted to start a band. He gathered together six other Bith, and named the band 'Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes'. Figrin himself plays the Kloo horn, as well as hot percussion on the gasan string drum; Doikk Na'ts plays the Dorenian Beshniquel, or the 'Fizzz'; Tedn and Ickabel both play Fanfars; Natan the Bandfill, together with horn bells; and Tech takes care of the sound with the large Ommni Box. The sixth seventh member, often used as a backup, is Lirin Car'n, and plays the Kloo horn too.
Despite the sights he has seen and the stories he has heard, Figrin stays politically neutral. He will accept jobs from anyone, as long as he gets paid and he can play sabacc. This does not mean, however, that he will not sell information for the right price. He abhors bribes, but will gamble if he feels lucky enough.
Like all species seem to do at one time or another, Figrin and his band arrived on Tatooine, where they came into the service of Jabba. He thought of them as his favourite band, and paid them handsomely. Life with the Hutt was not all that bad, as long as you abided by his rules and kept him entertained. Figrin knew what had happened to some of Jabba's other 'favourite' bands. Normally they ended up in the Sarlacc or the fed to the rancor.
Throughout their time with Jabba, the band were careful not to do anything that might anger him, but when they met one of Lady Valarian's envoy droids, all this came to an end. The Devaronian, named Labria, had talked Valarian into hiring Figrin for her wedding reception. The Whiphid could see a chance to put one over on Jabba, and jumped at it. Knowing that it would be certain death if the Hutt found out, the Modal Nodes accepted the one-time contract, especially as they going to be paid 3,000 credits. This was enough to get them off the planet, a prospect that made each member of the band think worth the risk.
Quite soon after they arrived at Valarian's reception, Doikk received word from Terrafin, one of Jabba's Arconian courier pilots, that Jabba had found out what had happened, and that he was angry. The Modal Nodes could see Jabba's thugs in the room, but still they played on, each one thinking of the 3,000 credits and the trip off the desert planet that could become their graves. Everything was going fine, until Lady Valarian and her mate started to have an argument. They fought with each other, and then stormtroopers raided the place. Jabba had set up an Imperial raid, knowing that the Whiphid would be using all her illegal gambling facilities at the reception.
A firefight broke out, and as they made their escape, Figrin saved the life of the bartender Wuher. Wuher had complimented the band on the quality of their music, and told them about the cantina he worked in. The band accepted a two-season contract from Chalmun, the Wookie who was the owner of the cantina. The wookie hoped that the live band would attract more peaceful clientele.
Then Labria challenged Figrin to a game of Sabacc, and in the end walked off with all the bands' instruments, apart from Doikk's Fizzz. If they wanted to leave, the band would have to buy back their instruments; Labria had them by the Kloo horn.
It was while playing at the cantina that Figrin saw one of the last Jedi, and the one who would become the first of the new. While Ben dispatched Evazan and Ponda Baba, the band played on. They eventually bought their instruments back, and left Tatooine.
It is not known where they are, but one thing is for certain, whatever may be happening in the galaxy, Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes will be playing their music, on and on.