From cult heroes to global phenomenon: the unstoppable rise of Ghost

A photograph of Ghost on stage

HAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHOW LIKE?

A Nameless Ghoul (bass): “Our first show as Ghost was actually outside of Sweden – it was in Germany [in 2010]! It was shaky, I would say. We had rehearsed a little, for a month or two, but we hadn’t really been a band for a long time. And it was a little bit odd playing in costumes – we’d never really done that together before. I think the reaction was quite good. It was in a forum that was very open to what we were at that time, because at that point I think we were regarded as an ‘underground’ phenomenon. The day after, our second-ever show, in London, was definitely a bigger happening for us. There was a small festival at the Camden Underworld,we had a really late-night slot, and there was a lot of excitement there. That was our first show where we really felt, ‘Wow, this can become something.’”

HOW DID IT FEEL TO WIN A GRAMMY THIS YEAR?

“Great, fantastic. It’s a big honour for anybody to win, but for us it meant a lot extra, because we’re a Swedish band. Swedish artists are seldom nominated, and if they are, it’s usually singular artists in the pop world, or the songwriters.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE VIBE IN THE GHOST CAMP ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY SO FAR?

“I’m feeling very enthusiastic. I still feel like we’re obviously growing and taking steps forward, and I’m very focused on our onstage performance, and how we go in that department. The closer we get to making the show we’ve always wanted, I’m happy. I am very much in the writing phase right now, for the next album, so I know pretty well where we’re going with that, and I feel very poised to do so. We have a few more years to go before it’s time to evaluate what we’re doing.”

WHAT IS THE KIND SHOW OF YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED, EXACTLY?

“I have always wanted our show to be very theatrical, reshaping the stage during the show and having different acts. It’s supposed to be very big and bombastic. We’re closing in on it, but we can do way, way more.”

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH YOUR NEXT COVERS EP?

“It’s to prolong the record we made. It’s in the same realm, the same world, the same Papa. The Pope Star tour that will follow is all the things that we wanted to do with Meliora. So it’s going to be a 2.0 version of that.”

DO YOU THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND GHOST YET?

“Some people do. I don’t think that we necessarily put a lot of intellectual demand on our fans. You can like it but not ‘get’ it. If you like it and enjoy it, it doesn’t matter if you ‘get’ it or not.”

Who are Ghost and what do they want?

Ghost: A Day In The Life Of A Nameless Ghoul

A Nameless Ghoul's guide to the new Ghost album

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