As Ghost continue their global Skeletour in support of 2025 album Skeletá, frontman Tobias Forge has admitted the band currently has "nothing else planned" beyond the run — and that stepping away may be exactly what he needs.
Appearing on the February 21 episode of Full Metal Jackie's radio show (via Blabbermouth), Forge reflected on life outside the theatrical juggernaut he's steered for the past 15 years.
"All the above," he said when asked about hobbies and downtime. "One, I have my family. Duh. Of course, everybody knows that. I've had two kids waiting at home with my wife for 15 years… I've definitely come to a point where not only do I need — I feel physically and mentally I need to be home, simply because they're 17; they're not gonna be around for an eon."
Forge described the all-consuming nature of leading Ghost with a vivid metaphor. "Imagine you being a house builder, and you draw up houses, great ideas, but you're also doing the permits and you're also doing the tiles and you're building everything and you're sewing up all that [shit] and putting it all together," he explained. "I don't simply have an idea. And I'm out of tiles. I'm out of wood. I just don't have it."
For Forge, the solution is straightforward. "So the only way for me to come up with a new idea and get some new inspiration is to just step away. It is as simple as that."
That doesn't mean he's disappearing creatively. The singer revealed he has "two film projects" in development and was recording another album with a different project just before heading out on tour. "I have tons of stuff lined up for me [for] the coming years," he added.
Still, he acknowledged that for over a decade and a half, Ghost has been "force majeure" in his life. "Over the years I've been very worried about momentum and just keeping it going because I have so many ideas and I don't wanna lose speed. And I just came to a point where I'm, like, I'm actually fine if the momentum is not there. It's cool. I'm good. I feel good about that. If I lose it, okay."
Forge also spoke candidly about the toll of long tours on his family. "There were a lot of moments where you had to sort of sneak out before they woke up and have one screaming child on the balcony… when you jump into the car. And that was not easy," he said. "But when you're driven by a conviction… I was convinced, and I am still convinced, that I did the right thing."
Now that his children are 17, the dynamic has shifted. "Of course they know what I'm doing," he said. "We're very connected. We're very good friends… And now they're the ones sort of pushing me, like, 'Yeah, it's only three weeks left.'"
As Ghost's current era winds down, Forge says the timing feels right to recalibrate. "When I come back, we'll start this new chapter, this new reality," he said.
