On Friday August 23rd, 2024, Mike Tramp will release “Songs Of White Lion, Vol II.” We recently caught up with Mike via Zoom to discuss the album and more. The initial question I put to Mike was why did he feel now was the time to go back and rerecord these songs for Volumes I and II. Mike shared that after 14 solo albums it seemed that the ghost of White Lion was constantly there. He felt he was led to “Revisit the band that I started and ended all the way back in 91 and bring it sort of out into the current world.” From the age of twenty-seven which he was when White Lion had their biggest hits to being in his 60′s today he has evolved. He said he no longer sounds the same and wouldn’t want to sound the same.
His goal was to do the songs as close to the original as possible with a “Natural growth and natural evolution in the songs.” Mike told me that the goal on the first volume was to stick with the known songs, ‘90% of the set list.” Mike admitted that when he did the first album, he wasn’t thinking about a volume 2. “I wasn’t really thinking that I would hit the road with this.” He said it was clear when the band did start playing after the first album, that there were songs missing “Because they’re a musical joy to play.” Mike added “When I made the decision to do Volume II, those were the songs that we brought in.”
Mike spoke about the more progressive direction that White Lion was heading in although they never really got there before the band came to an end. He felt the band was headed more towards a sound like Journey, Styx, Kansas, and Deep Purple. He expressed the idea of adding keyboard but that it would be almost as important in the band as the guitar.
The band will be out on the road now through the end of the year. I asked Mike how it felt to be out there playing these songs on stage. He spoke about no matter what else is going on when you get out on stage and see all the smiles “You just go, I’m lucky.” Mike appears to be very honest about where he sees himself in his career. He just may be the most honest artist I’ve spoken to.
Despite the current focus on revisiting the White Lion catalogue, Mike is still working on what will become his 15th solo album. He admits that basically he is writing and recording for himself. But I’ve heard this same sentiment echoed by members of bands like Def Leppard. He went on to say that “Now the albums are almost more honest because they’re purely expression and extension of who I am.”
We also had a chance to discuss the audiences at the shows these days. Mike seems very happy when speaking of the fans. He related stories of people who tell him they used a White Lion song as their wedding song or even having met at a White Lion show.
Catch Mike Tramp’s White Lion out on the road. See all the tour dates here.
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