Trans-Atlantic alternative neo-folk collective Lusitanian Ghosts presents “The Long Train,” a potent first preview of what you might expect on the band’s forthcoming Lusitanian Ghosts III album, due out later this year via European Phonographic.
Engineered and mixed by Sebastian Muxfeldt (Elbow, Peter Doherty, Teenage Fanclub) at Clouds Hill Studios in Hamburg, the Ghosts once again offer a brilliant taste of the sonic prism through which they present ancient sounds in the 21st Century.
Lusitanian Ghosts is a Portuguese-Canadian-Swedish project that resurrects lost Portuguese chordophones and other European string instruments, promoting ancient sounds in the 21st century. Re-casting these heritage folk violas into rock n roll songs, the European artist collective writes from a socio-political perspective on building a better world, creating songs for the heart and mind, recording on analogue tape, and releasing moving music on vinyl.
Founded by Neil Leyton and Micke Ghost, the collective is currently made up of João Sousa, Abel Beja (from Primitive Reason), ToZé Bexiga (from Raia), and Jan-Eric Olsson, performing on traditional Portuguese chordophone instruments, ancient regional guitars like the Amarantina, Beiroa, Campaniça, Braguesa, Toeira and Terceirense. These instruments, once on the verge of extinction, are the real “Lusitanian Ghosts” – Lusitania being an ancient Celtic tribe in what would become the central territory of Portugal.
“The Long Train is a song celebrating freedom, celebrating life, celebrating the act of setting yourself free so that you may reach that transcendental level of commitment that only comes with true love.” Confusing? “Oh, and it’s also about storks!” says Neil Leyton.
Micke Ghost adds,
“‘The Long Train’ is a commentary on the state of the world today but with a bit of hope… like the New York Dolls took their electric guitars to the pawn shop. With a bit of plastic soul. Written in Setubal, Portugal, this was recorded and mixed on analogue tape at Clouds Hill in Germany.”
Recorded and mixed on analogue tape, this song features the violas Amarantina, Campaniça, and Terceira in glorious mono and stereo versions, bringing a new vintage chordophone rock n roll sound from the Ghosts. It was tracked on a Studer A820 2″ analogue tape machine, mixed down to 1/4 inch tape on the AEG Magnetophon 15 A, including both stereo and mono mixes.
Listen to “The Long Train” below and learn more about Lusitanian Ghosts via our Five Questions With segment.
Care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hey, this is Neil Leyton from Lusitanian Ghosts – a chordophone rock n roll collective performing on nearly extinct / resurrected European string instruments from Portugal, namely the violas Amarantina, Campaniça, Terceira… and sometimes the Swedish Nyckelharpa too!
With my solo Neil Leyton songs I just play rock n roll, the usual guitar, bass, and drums setup with my very own attitude and slant on things. With Lusitanian Ghosts we don’t use guitars anymore, it’s just the chordophones that really make it sound interesting and different… our ethos is about bringing the past into the present in a musical way. And the funny thing is, we end up singing about the future.
Tell us a bit about your most recent release.
Our new Lusitanian Ghosts III album will be released in the fall, in mono and stereo versions, on digital platforms and two different vinyl LPs, as in, mono and stereo. We recorded everything and also mixed everything on analogue tape. No digital. Our new single “The Long Train,” is the first single and it addresses precisely those important things in life, such as fulfilling our lives by accomplishing our own missions, what we set out to do, whatever that may be – seeing it through. Never leave a book half-read, and never leave a story half finished. Let it all out.
Where do you tend to pull inspiration from when writing?
With Lusitanian Ghosts the instruments themselves very often bring the inspiration. It is not like writing on regular guitars. But I’d describe it as writing songs, especially lyrics, that are very much anchored in our lives. They are not made-up songs… they remember, they retell, they depict, they reflect…
As to how we collaborate with, well we always have a wide circle of friends that come in and out of the collective… anyone connected to folk music and the Portuguese regional violas, the chordophones… I mean we’ve had O Gajo, OMIRI, and other players come through the Lusitanian Ghosts collective, as well as different guest singers like Misia Furtak from Poland and Joana Negrão from Portugal… we don’t decide who to collaborate with per se, the opportunities present themselves on the European folk scene I suppose? We used to have “scenes” in different towns; now I suppose they are sort of online networks of communities and people you know…
Do you have any upcoming shows or other events you’d like to tell us about?
Absolutely: we will be performing live in Lisbon at Teatro Taborda, on October 14th to present the new album live. And perhaps also a few in-stores around Portugal before then. Also, some Summer Festivals are to be announced if they will have us… it is a lot of flights to cover, haha. Easier to book a DJ maybe? We have vinyl.
What are your plans and goals for 2023?
The Ghosts are planning an orchestral live show, conducted by Maestro Rui Ribeiro, but we are not sure when that will happen – after the Lusitanian Ghosts III shows but not sure when. Imagine the chordophones with an orchestra? Will be nuts. Not sure I can even sing with that many people backing me. Rui is amazing though, I’m sure he will come up with some amazing arrangements.
On the personal side, I will also release a few new Neil Leyton songs, just singles really, and most of all there will be new The Conscience Pilate material: my band from the 90s! Edward Pond and I have been writing again since M for Montreal last year; Moe Berg is producing and at least a couple of singles will also be out this Summer so stay tuned for those. Totally different vibe from the Ghosts, but hey – you only live twice.
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