Dublin folk miscreants Lankum have returned with a new, stand-alone single: a devastatingly powerful and otherworldly interpretation of The Specials’ 1981 number one, ‘Ghost Town’. The original single was a haunting and perfectly timed piece of social commentary, capturing the bleak national mood of urban decay, mass unemployment, and racial tension that culminated in widespread riots across Britain just as the song topped the charts. As Lankum state below, it feels eerily relevant to be referencing it yet again.
The release, announced today by Rough Trade Records, is accompanied by a stunning, 8-minute short film. Directed by the renowned Leonn Ward and shot on location in County Wicklow with cinematography by Oscar-nominee Robbie Ryan (Poor Things, American Honey), the video is a haunting piece of visual art, reminiscent of Andrei Tarkovsky, that matches the track’s unsettling intensity.
Originally created for ‘Specky Clark’, a dance show by choreographer Oona Doherty at Sadler’s Wells earlier this year, the track transforms the ska-infused original into a sprawling, atmospheric folk-drone epic that feels uniquely Lankum, albeit with some new twists along the way.
‘Ghost Town’ will be released on a 12” vinyl format in January 2026, featuring an elaborate etching on the b-side.
Pre-Order/Save Ghost Town: https://lankum.ffm.to/ghosttown
Bandcamp:
The Origins of Lankum’s “Ghost Town”
Lankum explained in a detailed statement how the unexpected cover came to be, born from a collaboration with choreographer Oona Doherty.
“Ghost Town came to us through some curious circumstances. Oona Doherty, who we were familiar with through her phenomenal dance work on the video for Gilla Band’s ‘Shoulderblades’, contacted us and told us about a new show she was putting together. It was about her great-great-grandfather being sent to Belfast as a child to live with his aunts and work in an abattoir. She wanted a new piece of music for the show, for a party scene set on Halloween night, and told us she wanted it to start out indistinguishable and woozy, before developing into the very recognisable track by The Specials. At first we were slightly reticent, since a cover of a ska tune wasn’t something we’d usually ever consider, but after a bit of deliberation we decided we’d give it a shot, and the result took us on an incredibly enjoyable journey that had us gleefully playing with synthesisers and drum machines in Hellfire Studios, trying to come up with the scaldiest 90s sounding techno for the outro section of the track.
We’re very excited with the end product and delighted that Oona approached us and challenged us to step out of our comfort zone. It’s an honour to be releasing a version of this iconic tune, and it feels eerily relevant to be referencing yet again themes of urban decay, economic hardship and working class frustration.
Enjoy responsibly.”
Choreographer Oona Doherty, whose work inspired the track, detailed the song’s role in her production and its contemporary power.
“I was listening to Lankum and it inspired me to write this dance theatre play called ‘Specky Clark’ using a lot of their music. But for one scene which happens on Halloween night Samhain. I asked the band could they make me a cover of ‘Ghost Town’ by The Specials. And they bloody did. ‘All the clubs have been closed down’. I think this line still hits hard all these years later and in a dub accent speaks to housing crises, the poverty, the privatization of Ireland. They also managed to make the track rip through this physical plane of existence and dance in the other world…. only Lankum can do that.”
Director Leonn Ward explained her profound reaction to the track and the visual concept of resilience that it inspired.
“The first time I heard the track it floored me. Pure emotion and strength. The fractured world we live in today is in plain sight. There’s a weight and uncertainty more than ever, in my lifetime anyway. So it was important to both myself and Lankum to create a piece of work that felt honest; one that didn’t shy away from vulnerability yet carried lightness and perseverance all at once without overpowering it. It’s not about despair, it’s about resilience. The track holds immense power and I wanted to echo that, creating something with a real sense of endurance and resistance, a reflection of how people try to hold on to meaning in a collapsing world. I centred the band in the car as a nod to the iconic original video for ‘Ghost Town’ by The Specials. And there was something powerful about these two scenes together; the strength from the band performing in the car merged with the man’s solitary journey, they begin to speak to one another. And though they never meet, there’s a sense that they’re sending each other something; strength, endurance, hope.”
A New Chapter with Rough Trade
Alongside the single, Rough Trade Records announced the welcome news that Lankum has extended their contract with the label for multiple future albums and releases.
This new chapter follows the immense success of their fourth studio album, False Lankum, which was universally acclaimed and nominated for both the Mercury Prize and an Ivor Novello Award. The band followed with Live in Dublin, a special live album recorded over three sold-out nights at the city’s Vicar Street.
