Ghost manager Kristen Mulderig has revealed the secrets behind the Grammy-winning Swedish rockers' global success.
Formed in 2006, the masked band's sixth album Skeletá (41,037 sales, OCC) secured their highest UK chart position to date when it debuted at No.2 in April. Additionally, it became their first No.1 in the US, where it was also the first chart-topper for their American label, Loma Vista Recordings.
Rick Sales Entertainment Group president Mulderig, who has worked with the Tobias Forge-fronted act for 14 years, said she was not surprised at the campaign's results.
“Because I’ve been in it for so long, it wasn’t surprising to me," she said. "On [previous record] Impera, we got to No.2 in the US and No.1 in a lot of other countries, so we did really well with that cycle. But we were determined to get No.1 this time, and we did it. I never doubted it would happen at some point, I just didn’t know when.”
In an interview in the August edition of Music Week, Mulderig explained how the Ghost team were able to deliver on their goals.
The one thing that I feel our team has never lacked is the ability to think outside the box
Kristin Mulderig
“We just thought bigger," she said. "We studied analytics and data and were having group calls every week to go over everything and how to create moments. The one thing that I feel our team has never lacked is the ability to think outside the box. And I think a good start to this cycle came with the [concert] movie, Rite Here Rite Now. Tobias’ idea for the movie was always, ‘Let’s use it as a promotional piece for the album, and in 2024, when we’re not going to be touring or doing anything, this will keep us in the public eye.’
"I learned how to be a producer and I made lots of phone calls. Tobias financed the whole thing himself, so I felt it was my job to be mindful of what we spent money on. The film ended up being a huge success and did exactly what we wanted it to, but we had obstacles every step of the way.”
According to Mulderig, the main obstacle was "trying to explain the concept to the money people", ultimately leading them to finance the project mostly on their own.
“I can put the best onesheet together you’ve ever seen, but if you don’t know the band, and if you don’t know the crazy fandom that surrounds them, are you really going to put money in?" she said. "We did get down the road with a couple of different financiers, but then you don’t own it. And I think it’s really important that Tobias owns his IP, going forward, because there are so many things you can do with this, so many stories and sub stories to be told, prequels and sequels in different formats.
"We have this Sister Imperator comic, so what’s next? Do we do a series? A movie? I don’t know – the sky’s the limit.”
I had an insight into Tobias’ vision and where he wanted to get to – which, by the way, we’ve not reached yet
Kristen Mulderig
Ghost's biggest seller in the UK is 2022’s Impera (72,730 sales), with 2015 LP Meliora (61,710) and 2018's Prequelle (66,394) – the band's first Top 10 album – also certified silver by the BPI.
Mulderig's relationship with Forge has seen the band release increasingly successful albums and play arenas globally, including four sold-out headline dates in the UK in April, as well as winning a Grammy in 2015. The manager reflected on what she saw in Ghost at the start that others didn't.
“I had an insight into Tobias’ vision and where he wanted to get to – which, by the way, we’ve not reached yet," she said. "I’ve always said, once someone talks to him, they’re going to have an amazing interview and they’re going to see the greatness that I see. But in the beginning it was really hard because he wasn’t really doing interviews and there was the whole anonymity thing, which was an obstacle we had to overcome, marketing and promotion-wise. It was a hill we had to climb and we did it, little by little.”
Indeed, if there was a message that Mulderig hoped others could take from the Ghost story, it is that "‘slow and steady’ wins the race".
"In the early days, Tobias would have these grandiose ideas that we’re now doing," she added. "And we knew that we would do them, but we knew it would take time. We weren’t on a sprint for the finish line – not that we’re there now. Building this band is building a business – you’ve got to build it in steps. And that’s what we’ve successfully done, which is what I’m most proud of.”
Subscribers can read the full interview with Mulderig here.
