The festival lineup “mixes projects with established track records with newer bands, in a program that also reflects Lux Records’ own work of discovering and releasing music,” he noted.

On the first night, 29 October, at the Teatro Académico de Gil Vicente (TAGV), Duques do Precariado and Gata Surda perform. The following day, 30 October, Expresso Transatlântico and Voronet Blue take the same stage.

The program concludes on 5 November at Salão Brazil with Birds Are Indie and Gulag Motel.

When asked by the Lusa news agency what he would say to those unfamiliar with Lux Interior, Rui Ferreira explained: “I can guarantee those people that they will see six great shows. Throughout the years of the Lux festival, regardless of whether the crowds were large or small, we have always had great concerts.”

A former nurse at the Coimbra University Hospitals, a profession he left ten years ago to dedicate himself full-time to Lux Records and Lucky Lux, a shop selling new and used records that he has run in downtown Coimbra since 2017, he drew upon the experience in the music world he has accumulated over the last 30 years to back up his guarantee.

“I am always concerned, not only when it comes to releasing music but also when programming the festival, with choosing good projects, musicians, and bands that I know are truly excellent,” observed Rui Ferreira.

“I can guarantee that these will be six great concerts; I don’t think there is any better way to convince people to attend than by being fully convinced myself that these six great concerts are going to take place at this festival,” he reaffirmed.

Rui Ferreira highlighted several reasons behind the lineup for this edition, which celebrates Lux Records’ 30th anniversary. Chief among them is the debut appearance at Lux Interior by Birds Are Indie—a band formed in Coimbra in 2010 by Ricardo Jerónimo and Joana Corker, later joined by Henrique Toscano.

“They had never played at the festival before, though they did perform at a warm-up event for one of the previous editions—when we brought over the American band Luna (…). It was time to include them in the festival lineup, especially since they are promoting a new album [The Stone of Madness] released this year; so, the choice was more or less a given,” he stated.

In contrast, Duques do Precariado marks the first time Rui Ferreira has brought a band back for a Lux Interior lineup—although the group did perform in 2023 at the Convento São Francisco café-concert venue, rather than on a larger stage like the one at TAGV.

“It was right at the beginning. Back then, when they played, the first album hadn’t even been released yet. Now it was justified, especially since the reviews for the second album [Encarnação] have been so good, and the results in terms of live shows so unexpected, so it made sense,” he argued.

The festival, named in an explicit tribute to the late Cramps frontman Lux Interior, exists “also to showcase the inner workings of Lux” Records, though not exclusively so.

“I always made a point of having many Lux bands at the festival, but we never closed it off to outside acts, such as Clã or Samuel Úria. Last year we had Três Tristes Tigres, who aren’t on the Lux roster. This year I invited Expresso Transatlântico because I saw them live and they’re an incredible band; they’re based around the Portuguese guitar and use it to create pop music,” noted Rui Ferreira.

Furthermore, the band’s latest album was produced by Paulo Furtado (The Legendary Tiger Man, Wraygunn, Tédio Boys), “who began his entire career at Lux”, and Expresso Transatlântico had not yet presented their new work in Coimbra; this will now happen on 30 October at the TAGV.

The Lux Interior festival is once again launching new bands from Coimbra as opening acts across the three nights: Gata Surda will perform on the first night, marking their absolute stage debut—the first concert for a band rooted in psychedelic rock and blues.

Meanwhile, Voronet Blue will release their debut EP, featuring five tracks, on Friday, with Lux Records releasing it in both digital and CD formats. At the same time, Gulag Motel “is the new project from Pedro Renato [Belle Chase Hotel], who wanted to make a rock album again.”

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