Saulius Petreikis releases new album 'Rituals,' inspired by daily routines

Musician Saulius Petreikis has unveiled his latest album, "Ritualai" (Rituals), a collection of twelve tracks born from the profound impact of simple, everyday routines. Petreikis, who spent 2023-2025 extensively touring Europe, North America, and Lithuania, found that amidst constant travel, the rhythm of prayer, family breakfasts, nature walks, and bedtime stories became essential anchors.

"When we say 'ritual,' we often imagine something old or mystical," Petreikis explained. "But for me, rituals are very simple things. How you start your morning, how you return home, what you do before sleep. When there is a lot of travel in life and cities, stages, hotels are constantly changing, it is precisely those small repetitive things that somehow put you back in place. Music works very similarly for me."

The album, recorded in Vilnius, weaves together Baltic musical identity with Northern European and Celtic influences. It features a rich array of acoustic instruments, including bagpipes, flutes, horns, and hurdy-gurdy, integrated into a modern, cinematic sound. "Ritualai" offers a dynamic listening experience, moving from faster compositions to ballads and instrumental pieces interspersed with songs.

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When we say 'ritual,' we often imagine something old or mystical. But for me, rituals are very simple things. How you start your morning, how you return home, what you do before sleep. When there is a lot of travel in life and cities, stages, hotels are constantly changing, it is precisely those small repetitive things that somehow put you back in place. Music works very similarly for me.

Petreikis collaborated closely with his brother, Donatas Petreikis, a composer, producer, arranger, and performer, on the album. Their creative process involved not only crafting melodies and arrangements but also discerning the essential elements of each piece. "Donatas and I can argue, and search for a single sound for a long time, and eventually throw away half of what we've done," Saulius shared. "I think that's part of good creative work. He has a great sense of when music still needs something, and when it's time to stop adding to it. It's important to me that we made this album together."

"Ritualai" is now available on major music platforms. Live performances celebrating the album are scheduled for August 29 at the "FORT-UNIJA" festival in Kaunas, September 5 at the "Pūsk, vėjuži!" festival in Juodkrantė, and September 11 at the "Šventaragis" festival on Gediminas' Castle Hill in Vilnius. The album's recording was partially funded by LATGA.

“

Donatas and I can argue, and search for a single sound for a long time, and eventually throw away half of what we've done. I think that's part of good creative work. He has a great sense of when music still needs something, and when it's time to stop adding to it. It's important to me that we made this album together.