Neil Leyton

Who is Neil Leyton?

Neil Leyton is a Portuguese-Canadian singer and guitarist born in Lisbon. He has lived and played music in Toronto, London, and Stockholm.

He was a founding member and songwriter in Canadian art-glam indie project The Conscience Pilate from 1995 to 1998, beginning a solo career in 1999. He is also the founder of the Fading Ways record label, one of the first to use Creative Commons licenses. Leyton was a vocal proponent of the Creative Commons giving several seminars and speaking at conferences about its possible uses in the music industry, including Music Tank and Popkomm.

He has also played guitar for other musical projects live and in the studio, most notably British glam rockers Dogs D'Amour, Canadian rockers Crash Kelly and Canadian power pop outfit Galore. He participated in a side-project with Ky Anto, titled Pretty Volume, and recorded an E.P. with fellow Canadian guitarist Rich Jones and The Wildhearts' frontman Ginger in the UK. The Hellacopters's Nicke Andersson and Backyard Babies's guitarist Dregen were guests on Leyton's The Betrayal of the Self album, released in 2006 via Feedback Boogie and Fading Ways Records.