Ghost recently surprised their fans with the release of their latest covers EP, ‘Phantomime.’ This new EP highlights Ghost’s unique takes on a number of songs from renowned artists, including Tina Turner. Tobias Forge recently got candid during an interview with Loudwire Nights, offering some insights into the process behind deciding to cover a Tina Turner song for this album.
In the interview, Forge emphasized that the songs Ghost chooses to cover are usually ones that have had a significant personal impact on him. As a result, picking the tracks for their covers EP isn’t a particularly intricate process. Along with this personal connection, Forge explained that there are a few other ‘loose’ factors that guide the band in their decision-making process, but these are not hard and fast rules.
Forge explained that similar to the Genesis cover, he doesn’t regard the Tina Turner song as a simple piece of nostalgia from his youth. Instead, he sees it as a track whose lyrics still echo powerfully in the current state of the world. He stressed that he tries to pick songs that he not only likes, but also believes he can bring something unique to. Forge then admitted there have been instances where he started working on covers, only to realize they weren’t meeting his creative vision, leading him to abandon the attempt.
Here is what Tobias Forge told Loudwire Nights:
“One way or another, most songs that we’ve covered have had an impact on me, personally, at some point. The vetting process for cover songs is not very complicated. Of course, there are a few loose criteria or prerequisites that underscore the importance of doing that song.”
He continued:
“It’s the same thing with Tina Turner. I’m not seeing it as a nostalgic song that I grew up listening to because it was a huge hit in the ’80s and it’s evergreen, but the lyrics resonated really well with the state of the world today. I try to cover songs that I like and that I think I can do something with. There are songs that I’ve toyed around with and even demoed that I found to be not really living up to the idea that I had and then I scrap them.”
With the release of ‘Phantomime‘ on May 19, fans of Ghost are given a fresh lens through which to revisit these iconic songs, including the Tina Turner hit. For those eager to check it out, Ghost’s rendition of Tina Turner’s ‘We Don’t Need Another Hero‘ is available for listening below.
