Papa Nihil Of Ghost Unveil A Previously Unreleased Song He Wrote

Ghost has unveiled their latest track, “The Future Is A Foreign Land,” marking its debut with the release of their debut film, Rite Here Rite Now.

According to the band’s announcement on social media, this song, dating back to the 1969 era, was penned by the fictional character Papa Nihil. Despite Nihil’s purported authorship of other Ghost hits like “Mary On A Cross” and “Kiss The Go-Goat,” “The Future Is A Foreign Land” remained unreleased until now.

The track made its premiere during the end credits of Rite Here Rite Now, serving as the sole previously unreleased studio recording on the film’s original soundtrack.

Behind the Scenes: The Draining Demands of Filmmaking

Ghost’s venture into filmmaking was confirmed last October, culminating in its cinematic release on June 20. Frontman Tobias Forge, who appeared at the movie’s world premiere, spoke with Rock Sound about the challenges of filmmaking, describing it as both exhilarating and draining:

“As any semi-gargantuan task, as fun as it is, it’s also draining. I’m used to working towards deadlines, but filmmaking is definitely a lot… You can release records into society and people will buy it or not, whereas tickets you have to sell too, but cinemas are a little bit like venues. So you can’t just release a film or move it like a week. If you don’t deliver on time, it would be delayed, like, months. So we’ve been sort of zoning in on this date, basically today, for the last nine months.”

During their two-night residency at the Forum in Inglewood, California, Ghost enforced a strict no-phone policy, opting instead to film the performances with a professional crew. Confirming fans’ suspicions, Forge later disclosed that these concerts were part of their cinematic project. In subsequent interviews, he hinted at a film that would blend footage from these California shows “mixed with something else.”