White Lion is back after a long break. The band that emerged to stardom in the late 80’s with hits like ‘When the Children Cry’ and ‘Tell Me’ is releasing its first album in 16 years, ‘Return of The Pride’. The album recorded in between Australia and Denmark in 2007 and just released on April 30th in the US has a new line up – only original member is Mike Tramp – Jamie Law (guitars), Claus Langeskov (bass), Henning Warner (keyboards) and Troy Patrick Farrell (drums).
White Lion just started a long tour beginning with some shows in the West Coast of the US, then a South American tour including countries like Peru and Brazil, and going to Europe in the summer.
In an exclusive interview to Silvia Mendes from Dynamite Magazine, Mike Tramp talks about the new album, religion, family and much more. Enjoy!
Silvia Mendes: Back in 1987 White Lion released an album called 'Pride'. The new album is called ‘Return of the Pride’, what is the message you want people to get from it?
Mike Tramp: When I made the decision of resuscitate White Lion in today’s rock world where everything is so strange as compared to before, I wanted the album and the whole concept to fit together so the fans can travel through these two decades.
When you listen to the album you go ‘you know what? It might be dejavu but I have been here before.’ In my 30 years of rock’n’roll, a strange thing I witnessed is that there is really not much room for change. The fans want a new album, but they also want to listen to the classic hits. What is hard for them to understand is that, as a musician, you very quickly grow out of a song, and you want to change everything around you. So now we comeback and we ask ourselves, what is the point of redoing White Lion? To me, during this whole time I had my solo career, but I still had the hard rock building off inside of me. And I realized I had to start writing music for White Lion again, even though I realized that this is all in the past, but the truth is that in the past in also this land that time forgot where hard rock exists. To me, it all has to connect to the beginning.
Silvia Mendes: How was the creative process for the new CD? Do the new band members participate on the writing too?
Mike Tramp: Right now the band members are living in 4 different continents in the world. I had been writing a lot of songs, so I would then send sort of finished songs to Claus (the bass player) – he has never really worked with me in this kind of stuff before, he comes from a very different musical background – and he would add his input and send it back to me. The majority of the album was done that way, and there are some songs I created with Jamie the guitar player. We did not have the luxury of being all together in a room to write music. So I basically started all the songs and they had some input too. We had to find a way to do it between Claus and I or Jamie and I. We had 5 days to record the bass, drums and guitars because money was no option, we don’t have a record deal and everything that has been done in this album has been paid by me and I am not living in luxury. Everything in the album has been done by the band, including the production, and it is not exactly the way we wanted to do it, but it was a necessity.
Silvia Mendes: Don’t you think it kind of take us back to what rock’n’roll is about?
Mike Tramp: Yes, it really does. I am not criticizing the great classic albums that Def Leppard or Metallica did. Some of these albums have 6 months only for pre-production. White Lion did not have the luxury of having that much time, and I don’t think it would work for us, you have to be truthful to whom you are. When we listened to the final product we were ‘It is good enough, it sounds like a band playing, not a machine’. We can’t forget that our heroes recorded that way. The first Led Zeppelin albums were recorded that way, even Queen which is one of my favorite bands really had only so much time because there’s only so much money. This intensity sometimes brings a lot of energy out and we wanted White Lion to sound like that.
Silvia Mendes: In the past you had songs that talked about social or political issues (Little Fighter, or Cry for Freedom). What inspires you when you write?
Mike Tramp: I write music not because I have to record an album, but because there is someone in my door saying ‘I wanna get out’. It has to come naturally and the right way. One thing I always have issues with is religion. I was born Christian raised in Denmark, but when I see religion being used in the name of war and hypocrisy, I feel inspired to write.
Silvia Mendes: You mentioned religion, do you believe in religion or God?
Mike Tramp: No I don’t believe in religion. I also don’t believe in God as it is written in the books. I believe in the creation of things, but you will never see me preaching to other people to change because of me, religion is a personal thing and I really don’t want to hear about other people’s faith. Too much destruction happens in the world because of God, whatever God it is. It is just insane…
Silvia Mendes: Last year some concerts were cancelled due to legal issues regarding the ownership of the name White Lion. Were these issues solved?
Mike Tramp: Issues were solved, and Mike Tramp owns the name White Lion. I did a year ago too, but someone could still contest it, and on the other side is the promoter who does not want to deal with it. In the end it was our little ‘battle at little bighorn’ (one of the new songs on ‘Return of The Pride’).
Silvia Mendes: Any chances people will ever see the original line up together again?
Mike Tramp: NO, not a chance! I still have contact with our ex-bassist that now plays with Megadeth and he is very happy there. Vito, the guy that I started the band with, he is kind of like “I don’t really want to ride my bicycle but you can’t ride without me” and I don’t buy this idea. I approached him in the past and asked him if he was going to continue with the band. He comes up with so many excuses that are not valid. It seems like he is the only person on the face of the earth who has problems, the rest of us don’t.
I got a very complicated life right now. My family is in Denmark, my wife lives in Indonesia with my daughter and I live in Australia with my son from a previous relationship. It is very complicated, but when I get up everyday I think that I have been doing this for 30 years and I just have to find a way and hope for the best.
Silvia Mendes: How did you find the new band members?
Mike Tramp: I have been around the world in tours for a long time and I have seen these musicians around. This is the reason why each one is from a different place, but we do match personality wise and they are loyal people. They are all prepared to put a lot of their lives into this. We don’t have a road manager, or a stage crew, anything, we have to trust who we are and do what we have to do to be able to be close to our fans. I don’t have anybody in the band with this pre-conceived idea of how the show is going to be, but they know it is going to be a lot of ‘do-it-yourself’ and they are fine with that.
Silvia Mendes: Mike, this is going to be the first time White Lion performs in South America, including Brazil, where this magazine is from. What are your expectations for the shows, especially the one in Rio?
Mike Tramp: There is nothing like playing somewhere by the first time. We have been playing these songs for so many years and now we have a chance to add something new to our story! It is very recharging, like being born again. You feel like you get your energy back that sometimes you don’t have because you are tired of doing the same thing over and over again, but when you see the smiles on people’s faces like in gratitude that you took the time and came all the way to play for them, it means A LOT to us. This opportunity (of playing in Brazil) came out of the blue and we are really looking forward to play in Rio and maybe in the future be playing at Rock in Rio! I am sure we are going to have a great time there!
Silvia Mendes: When people go to a White Lion concert, what should they expect?
Mike Tramp: Well, there are two ways that I could answer this question: the honest way or the fake way… (Laughing)
Silvia Mendes: Answer the honest way!
Mike Tramp: A rock band can only do so much different from other rock bands, so what we have is our songs and the uniqueness of who we are. White Lion is one of these rock bands that plays classic rock and stays truthful to it, and that is what we bring to the stage.
Silvia Mendes: Do you like touring?
Mike Tramp: Not so much anymore and I never thought I was going to say that but there are so many personal issues involved. I have children, everybody is scattered around and my biggest wish is just to have everybody that I love in the same place, but at the same time, this is who I am and not matter what, is what I do. This is a lifestyle, 24/7 365.
Silvia Mendes: What do you think about the music scene nowadays? Any bands or artists you like to listen to?
Mike Tramp: This is difficult to analyze… It is too much of a business nowadays. In the past it started with the music and then the business, now it starts with the business and then you make the music. I guess it is part of evolution of the world and technology. It all has a massive impact on people’s thinking and creative life. A lot of music is being completed created completely cold hearted, even rock songs, and that I am not a part of.
Silvia Mendes: Do you know any Brazilian music or bands?
Mike Tramp: No, not really… wait a minute, isn’t Sepultura from Brazil? I know all about them! I am not familiar with Brazilian music, but I am very aware of the size of Brazil and the power that rock music has there. A lot of that comes from my admiration for Queen and seeing their videos in Brazil and how the public reacted to them.
Silvia Mendes: Any words to the Brazilian fans?
Mike Tramp: I just want everybody there to understand how excited the band was when I said that we were going to Rio. We hope this is the beginning of a long, long relationship between us and the Brazilian fans. We wish we could play in other places there too, but not this time, unfortunately. Oh yes, and I also want to say that I don’t wear a wig, this is my real hair!
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