GHOST frontman Tobias Forge joins host Abe Kanan for a special Audacy Check In, amid the highly-anticipated arrival of the mysterious Swedish metal band's all new 'Skeletá' era with new music, a new ‘Papa,’ and more.

Over the weekend GHOST shared images of an epic billboard announcing “V is coming,” along with a link to a livestream which will no doubt host the debut of the band’s “new” singer, Papa V Perpetua, as well as further new music announcements. Papa V, the next incarnation of frontman Tobias Forge, was first teased when revealed as part of Black Sabbath’s 'Back To The Beginning' July concert in Birmingham happening later this year.

For the past 20+ years, Tobias has led his “nameless ghouls” in GHOST, one of the more mysterious groups in the Metal scene, as their anti-Papal singer and principal songwriter.

Looking back on the group’s constant battles with remaining unknown players when first starting out, it was “fatigue,” Forge says, that eventually led to his unmasking. “It was a constant struggle to maintain anonymity, meanwhile trying to break and make the band bigger because it sort of defies the whole idea of becoming a bigger and more famous band, and not become more a person of interest,” he explains. “However, as I transgressed from, I know that might be the wrong word to use here, but transgressed from wanting to really remain anonymous, no matter what, to being, I guess, more open with it.”

“I tried to weigh whether or not if there was a playing field for me, to where I could do both,” Tobias says. “And what I understood it was that GHOST as an entity, as this sort of fictional, cartoonish Rock band, is always -- as long as I continue doing that the way I should -- will always be more known and more recognizable and more interesting than I am as a person. And so far, it has really been like that. Sure, people know who I am, but nowhere near as many as know what GHOST is.”

“Any time we have a new person in the band,” Forge admits, “I think it always sets off the sleuths trying to sort of figure out who that person is, and over the years we've had people in the band who've been very good at hiding their identities, basically enjoying the idea of being somewhat more elusive. And then there are those who prefer to be a little bit more visible.”

However, as he sees it “Neither is wrong. I think in the spirit of GHOST being a slightly more theatrical, and a little bit more anonymous, whatever that means now in this context, I think it's good if we don't go up on stage and take the mask off, ‘Here we are, it's me.’ You know, that's not great, but I mean it doesn't bother me if you know the name of the guitar player.”

Speaking of the band’s brand new single “Satanized” from their forthcoming 2025 album 'Skeletá,' some fans may notice a throwback feel to earlier releases, some of course may not. “I am bad at deciphering or deciding that,” Tobias says, “because if I say, ‘oh yeah, yes, you're right,’ there will be opinionated people listening like, it sounds nothing like Opus… So, no, it's not a carbon copy of ‘Opus Eponymous,’ it's not ‘Infestissumam,’ it's not ‘Meliora.’”

“There are elements of everything I've ever done, scattered all over the records, as is with this record too,” he says. “I always go into the studio or into the writing process, the production process, with the idea of trying to write a new album, an album that sounds in a new way, and then pragmatically, I guess you try to be professional and steer the ship. So it resembles a GHOST record. Even though I'm also struggling at times with exactly what that means, but you know, of course I have a gut feeling of which lines you don't cross, and where it feels like that is ‘not a GHOST thing to do.’ Not because I don't dare -- I consider myself fairly daring in my will to push everything forward, or push the envelope and or do things that others might not wanna do. But of ...

Audacy host Jolene was thrilled to welcome the ultimate Idol -- Billy Idol -- for a special Check In, getting details about his upcoming tour dates kicking off in April with Joan Jett, and plenty more.

Billy Idol is returning to the road this Spring for his 'It’s a Nice Day To…Tour Again! Tour.' Kicking off in Phoenix on April 30, the trek will feature special guests Joan Jett & the Blackhearts who will join Idol at all stops including New York’s Madison Square Garden, Los Angeles’ Kia Forum, Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, and more.

But first congratulations are in order for Idol, who was nominated for inclusion in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year. “It's very exciting… it's an incredible honor,” Billy says. “The best news is Steve Stephens being inducted with me, so that really made my day. I don't wanna be up there on my own, so, it’ll be great.”

As promised, new music from Idol is also here with his just-released 2025 single "Still Dancing." the initial offering from 'Dream Into It,' his first full-length album since 2014’s 'Kings & Queens of the Underground.'

“We were making a documentary the last few years, it kept getting interrupted by the coronavirus,” he explains, “but because of that it kind of really made me aware that at this stage in my life, I could really look over the landscape of my life and really sort of talk about that. ‘Still Dancing,’ the song itself is like my life encapsulated into one song, but the album itself actually tells the story of my life.”

“It goes through the sort of Punk Rock era in 1977," Billy adds. "There's a song ‘77’ that talks about coming to America and going solo and then all the shenanigans that happened in between. So, it really does tell the story of my life. The track selection -- normally in the old days you always put the hit single first and the next best song second, but we really did this in the order of my life.”

The single “Still Dancing,” he says, “had the most obvious sound of a Billy Idol record that you recognize, but at the same time it's really fresh and vital, and that's what I feel about the album. I feel that there's not a bad song on it, and I think it's probably one of my best records. Just being able to say that at this time in my life and being inducted into the Hall of Fame all in one go, it's pretty amazing. It's gonna be an incredible year, whatever happens.”

Looking back on his stellar career, “It's been a long ride,” Billy says, “but the ride's all I've known.” And the ride continues this year as he hits the road on his 'It’s a Nice Day To…Tour Again!' outing with his pal, Joan Jett.

One of the songs on the forthcoming album, “Wildside,” he says, is “a duet with Joan. So, not only is she gonna be on the tour, but we'll probably be doing one of the songs live, I expect.” Over the years Billy recalls, “We have done some gigs together, but we've never done a tour, so a lot of people are really excited about it as well… it seems like it's a good move.”

Finally, Billy says, “I can’t wait to play the music, that’s the thing. It’s gonna be a great year because we haven’t played any of this music live, so it’s all gonna be fresh to us when we get out there.”

Don't miss Jolene's full Check In with the Billy Idol above, and stay with Audacy for more interviews from your favorite artists. Plus, follow along with Billy Idol Radio on the free Audacy app.

Words by Joe Cingrana, Interview by Jolene