Ghost’s Tobias Forge recently chatted with Metal Hammer about his career in the music industry that span over 25 years. During the interview the frontman also opened up about his first impressions towards The Strokes. The singer shared why he initially hated the band by saying:
“I hated The Strokes when they first came out. Back then, everyone described them as being so natural, that they weren’t interested in being rock stars, and I was like, ‘No. They didn’t wake up looking like that.’ They chose to do that to be rock stars. And they can really play!”
Forge shared that he didn’t agree with public about what the band was about, so when their 2006 album ‘First Impressions Of Earth’ came out his perspective changed. Tobias added:
“Then when ‘First Impressions Of Earth’ came out it was like, ‘There you go! That’s what they really sound like!’ After that, I loved The Strokes, because they were showing they actually did love the music, but a lot of indie rockers treated it like it was their sell-out record.”
Although the album was critiqued for being The Strokes’ ‘sell-out record,’ Tobias shared that he was on board with that version of the band. The frontman had previously shared with Metal Hammer that Ghost also didn’t reach their success without criticisms and years of persistence. He explained:
“One thing that I felt proud over was the fact that we’ve been around for 12 years. We’ve made five records, a bunch of EPs, and I am glad there seems to be a song that has a way of sucking people in. And if they go into our world and like it, there is plenty to find.”
You can read Tobias Forge’s interview with Metal Hammer here and listen to ‘First Impressions Of Earth’ below.