Tobias Forge Opens Up About Ghost’s Dynamic: “Technically, I’m a Solo Artist”

Ghost’s internal workings and member identities were shrouded in mystery until a highly publicized 2017 lawsuit filed by former Nameless Ghouls revealed key details. The legal dispute not only exposed the names of several band members but also confirmed that Tobias Forge serves as the band’s sole creative leader.

Since that lawsuit, Ghost has continued to reach new heights, achieving multi-platinum status while cycling through various Nameless Ghouls behind the scenes. In a recent cover story with Rolling Stone UK, Forge clarified his role within the band, even referring to himself as a “solo artist.”

“If you want to be super pragmatic, I’m technically a solo artist. I don’t have to think in terms of a group, but everybody needs to understand that my job is a group effort… We’re a group working together, but practically, if the label is asking Ghost to make a record, they don’t call a group of people — they will call me because it’s my responsibility. So, as a creator and a writer, I don’t think that there is such a thing as an end until the actual end.”

Forge has once again reimagined his persona for the band’s next album cycle, stepping into the role of Papa V Perpetua. The forthcoming album, “Skeletá,” is slated for an April 25th release. Speaking with Rolling Stone UK about the record’s themes, Forge reflected on the complexities of human existence:

“I’ve mostly described the record as one about being human. Life isn’t always great. There’s a non-deliberate, self-inflicted sense of unhappiness that we have subjected ourselves to because we have somehow got the idea that life is supposed to be 100 percent positive. Life is, unfortunately, a balancing act where good and bad is a pendulum going back and forth, and that’s something I’m guilty of not intuitively feeling all the time. That is a very natural part of the struggles of being alive, and it’s perfectly fine.”

Ghost has the following tour dates lined up:

04/15 Manchester, UK – AO Arena
04/16 Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
04/19 London, UK – The O2
04/20 Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
04/22 Antwerp, BEL – Sportpaleis
04/23 Frankfurt, DE – Festhalle Frankfurt
04/24 Munich, GER – Olympiahalle
04/26 Lyon, FRA – LDLC Arena
04/27 Toulouse, FRA – Zénith Toulouse Métropole
04/29 Lisbon, POR – MEO Arena
04/30 Madrid, SPA – Palacio Vistalegre
05/03 Zürich, SWI – Hallenstadion Zürich
05/04 Milan, ITA – Unipol Forum
05/07 Berlin, GER – Uber Arena
05/08 Amsterdam, NET – Ziggo Dome
05/10 Lodz, POL – Atlas Arena
05/11 Prague, CE – O2 Arena
05/13 Paris, FRA – Accor Arena
05/14 Oberhausen, GER – Rudolf Weber-ARENA
05/15 Hannover, GER – ZAG Arena
05/17 Copenhagen, DEN – Royal Arena
05/20 Tampere, FIN – Nokia Arena
05/22 Linköping, SWE – Saab Arena
05/23 Sandviken, SWE – Göransson Arena
05/24 Oslo, NOR – Oslo Spektrum
07/09 Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
07/11 Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
07/12 Tampa, FL – Amalie Arena
07/13 Miami, FL – Kaseya Center
07/15 Raleigh, NC – Lenovo Center
07/17 Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
07/18 Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena
07/19 Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
07/21 Boston, MA – TD Garden
07/22 New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
07/24 Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
07/25 Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
07/26 Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
07/28 Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena
07/29 Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
07/30 St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
08/01 Rosemont, IL – Allstate Arena
08/02 Saint Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
08/03 Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
08/05 Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
08/07 Denver, CO – Ball Arena
08/09 Las Vegas, NV – MGM Grand Garden Arena
08/10 San Diego, CA – Viejas Arena
08/11 Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
08/14 Austin, TX – Moody Center
08/15 Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
08/16 Houston, TX – Toyota Center
09/24 Mexico City, MEX – Palacio de los Deportes

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