# Indie-Folk-Rock Collective LUSITANIAN GHOSTS Present ‘Never Less Than Lonely’ From ‘Exotic Quixotic’ LP

- Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/indie-folk-rock-collective-lusitanian-ghosts-present-never-less-than-lonely-from-exotic-quixotic-lp/
- Published: 2021-10-15T12:30:00-05:00
- Author: Eugene Tierney

_“Lusitanian Ghosts impressively channel tools of the past to create a beautiful
sonic vision for us listeners now. Innovative in their use of traditional instruments
to make clearly modern pop-rock, this music is upbeat, quirky, feels familiar and
is catchy as hell. The fact that this is entirely performed with traditional instruments
is mind-boggling”_ ~ **[Big Takeover Magazine](http://bigtakeover.com/news/SongPremiereSoulDeraniumbyLusitanianGhosts)**

_“Highly melodic and sonically great with applaudable production, for music performed
with classical instruments, this is a pertinent, contemporary collection of songs
that is full dignity, the artists’ remaining true to their values and ethics” _~**
[Amplify Music Magazine](https://amplifymusicmag.com/premiere-riveting-never-less-than-lonely-single-by-lusitanian-ghosts/)**

_“Warms the heart and nourishes the soul… a crooning catharsis, a rush of adrenalin,
that gleams and mediates whilst chasing utopian fantasies through the interval of
stripped down acoustics and clapping beats” _~ **[The Manc Review](https://www.mancreview.com/2021/09/soul-deranium-by-lusitanian-ghosts/)**

![](https://i0.wp.com/redirect.haulix.com/yaG_hPQ3kaed8Zdlzo7pELyTBJ7TuDZ2jpkva7RGs2c%
3D/PromoAccessory_735678.jpg?resize=338%2C225&ssl=1)

 **Photo by Joana Negrão**

Portuguese-Canadian-Swedish alternative neo-folk collective [**Lusitanian Ghosts**](http://lusitanianghosts.net/)
will present their new single** **[**‘Never Less Than Lonely’**](https://lnk.to/neverless).
Featuring ancient Portuguese chordophones and other European string instruments,
this is a brilliant taste of the sonic prism through which they present ancient 
sounds in the 21st Century.

Founded in 2015, Lusitanian Ghosts are **Neil Leyton, Mikael Lundin (a.k.a. Micke
Ghost), João Sousa, Omiri, O Gajo, Abel Beja, Janne Olson **and other artists that
come and go within the collective. It all began when Neil Leyton brought Micke Ghost
a Viola Amarantina in Stockholm when visiting from Lisbon, and they subsequently
performed in Portugal, opening for Primitive Reason on the Ericeira beach.

Dedicated to the memory of Maria Narcisa Ribeiro, Leyton’s great-grandmother, this
was the first song written for this second album, and one that is ultimately about
life, love, loss and freedom of choice. 

“‘Never Less Than Lonely’ is about loss of memory… from whichever perspective, really.
Alzheimer’s, for example, that end of the afternoon sundowning feeling… or cancer.
Losing people slowly, watching them fade… there’s no reason why human beings shouldn’t
be allowed to exit with dignity, so I suppose the song in a way is a defence of 
euthanasia, which has been in the news over the last few years here in Portugal 
as well as other EU countries,” says** Neil Leyton**.

Following up their latest single[ **‘Soul Deranium’**](https://lusitanianghosts.bandcamp.com/track/soul-deranium),
these songs preview the band’s second album[** ‘Exotic Quixotic’**](https://lusitanianghosts.bandcamp.com/album/exotic-quixotic),
to be released via [**European Phonographic**](https://europeanphonographic.com/).
This album, recorded on analogue tape and mixed by [**Sebastian Muxfeldt**](https://muxi.world/discography)**(
Elbow, Peter Doherty, Teenage Fanclub) **at Hamburg’s [**Clouds Hills Studios**](https://cloudshill.com/),
recasts heritage folk violas into rock and roll songs.

![](https://i0.wp.com/redirect.haulix.com/A8nH4GutjEoJynxLmrNxiVAQwGqORzGzuZ-Tpmh7jMY%
3D/PromoAccessory_034343.jpg?resize=404%2C269&ssl=1)

 **Photo by Joana Negrão**

Lusitanian Ghosts write from a socio-political perspective about building a better
world, creating songs from and for the heart and the mind. Their compositions mix
indie songwriting with traditional Portuguese instruments like the Beiroa, Campaniça,
Braguesa, Terceirense and Amarantina guitars (or violas as they are called in Portugal),
each with its own string arrangements and tunings.

Their **[debut self-titled album](https://open.spotify.com/album/0qAHyIG8A3a7Ppvq8U4CRv?si=y4RjWkskRXSdYCOlZ-lbuA&dl_branch=1)**,
recorded at Portugal’s [**Canoa Studios**](https://www.canoastudios.com/)** **and
produced by [**Ricardo Ferreira**](http://www.ricardoferreiramusic.com/), was a 
successful experiment in mixing the various regional Lusitanian (Portuguese) chordophones
with what has come to be the band’s unique brand of singer-songwriter rock n roll.

The documentary** [‘Lusitanian Ghosts: Making Of the Lusitanian Ghosts debut album – Chordophone Rock n Roll’](https://youtu.be/KwX3FHEl-cI)**
elucidates on why most of these Portuguese ancient instruments (the real Lusitanian
Ghosts) have become forgotten over time. For this album, they’ve done away with 
the guitars, using only chordophones, along with bass and drums. Even the snare 
was replaced on many tracks with the Adufe, a Portuguese square drum.

“This is all Chordophone violas from Portugal – namely the viola Amarantina, Braguesa,
Campaniça and Terceira, played by the Lusitanian Ghosts collective including Canadian-
Portuguese artist Neil Leyton, Micke Ghost (the first Swede to play the viola Amarantina!),
Vasco Ribeiro Casais aka OMIRI (Portugal), Abel Beja (USA/Portugal, viola Terceira
from the Azores), João Sousa on drums (sometimes replacing the snare with the Portuguese
square drum Adufe) and Jan-Eric Olson on bass. But not just bass! Janne borrowed
O Gajo’s viola Campaniça for some extra dark licks. Chordophone rock n roll, Alt-
Folk, Urban-Country-Folk, however it gets labelled what should come across are the
humanist messages in these songs,” says **Micke Ghost.**

As of October 15, ‘Never Less Than Lonely’ will be available everywhere online, 
including **[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/4hAly1SkX6rGWvbS3O6IVJ) **
and[ **Apple Music**](http://www.applemusic.com/lusitanianghosts). The full ‘Exotic
Quixotic’ album will be released on November 19 and can be pre-ordered via [**Bandcamp**](https://lusitanianghosts.bandcamp.com/album/exotic-quixotic).

**ALBUM CREDITS**
Neil Leyton: Lead vocalsMikael Lundin: viola Amarantina, backing
vocals, bass, Mellotron, viola Campaniça. Lead vocals on ‘Exotic Quixotic’ and ‘
Hometown’João “Johnny” Sousa: drums and AdufeVasco Ribeiro Casais: viola BraguesaAbel
Beja: viola TerceiraJan-Eric Olsson: bass and viola CampaniçaAll songs by Neil Leyton
and Mikael Lundin aka Micke GhostPublished by Lusitanian Music PublishingRecorded
at Clouds Hill Studios, HamburgEngineered and Mixed by Sebastian MuxfeldtProduced
by Neil Leyton and Mikael LundinMastered at Soundgarden by Florian SillerCover Illustration
by Johan Lindberg Brusewitz

![](https://i0.wp.com/redirect.haulix.com/Wed-k7oPI5zAu4yz_vqVMsOyj9Dy74rBSA5rJzEVt9I%
3D/PromoAccessory_115119.jpg?resize=246%2C246&ssl=1)

**TRACK LIST**
01. Soul Deranium02. Never Less Than Lonely03. All the Sounds04. 
Exotic Quixotic05. Older and Colder06. Living One Life (Just Ain’t Enough These 
Days)07. For the Wicked08. Lisbon Calling09. She Couldn’t Jump10. Live the Flea

**FOR FANS OF: **Nick Cave, The Waterboys, Xixa, David Bowie, Bryan Ferry

**Keep up with Lusitanian Ghosts**
[Website](http://www.lusitanianghosts.com/) |
[Bandcamp](https://lusitanianghosts.bandcamp.com/) |[ Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/lusitanianghosts)
| [Twitter](https://twitter.com/lusitanianghost) | [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/lusitanianghosts/)
| [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFXstGYJO71zOFfWVSAk_Fw/videos) | [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/artist/4hAly1SkX6rGWvbS3O6IVJ)
|[ Apple Music](http://www.applemusic.com/lusitanianghosts) | [Booking contact ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/indie-folk-rock-collective-lusitanian-ghosts-present-never-less-than-lonely-from-exotic-quixotic-lp/lu**************@***il.com)
| [Press contact](https://www.nyrdcast.com/indie-folk-rock-collective-lusitanian-ghosts-present-never-less-than-lonely-from-exotic-quixotic-lp/co*****@******************pr.com)

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