It was impossible to be alive in the 1980’s and not know and remember White Lion. They were one of the powerhouse bands linked to the “Hair Metal” scene, yet they were very different than the rest. While the rest of the industry were singing about sex, drugs, and rock and roll, White Lion took another approach and brought out some more thought provoking songs, one of the biggest hits being, “When the Children Cry” off of their hugely successful album, Pride in 1987. Mike Tramp and Vito Bratta were the masterminds behind this, and Tramp has continued his musical journey ever since the disbanding of White Lion in 1991.
Mike Tramp is from Copenhagen, Denmark. When he saw what was happening in the United States in the 80’s, he wanted to be a part of it. After White Lion, he started a band called Freak of Nature in 1993. They had a brief success before Tramp went out on his own solo career. He has released 14 albums with the newest one, Songs of White Lion, coming out in April 14th, 2023 through Frontiers Music s.r.l. He has come full circle and decided to re-envision these songs as he feels them today.
Tramp sat down with Metal Nation to discuss this release, his solo career, and being comfortable in his own skin enough to bring back these songs. (If you are viewing from your phone, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the red “View Desktop Version” to gain video and interview access).