Mike Tramp On "Songs Of White Lion Vol. II," New York, Van Halen & More - "Paltrocast" Exclusive

Photo byWhite Lion's Mike Tramp

Mike Tramp came to prominence in the music world with the band White Lion, which formed in 1983. After signing to Atlantic Records, the band enjoyed great success with their second album Pride in 1987, which included the hits "Wait" and "When the Children Cry." The band's third album, Big Game (1991), and fourth album, Mane Attraction (1992) continued the band's winning streak, but ultimately White Lion disbanded in 1992.

After White Lion, Tramp formed the hard rock band Freak Of Nature, which had a decidedly darker and harder vibe than White Lion. Freak Of Nature would release three studio albums before disbanding in 1996. In 1998, Tramp kicked off his solo career with the album, Capricorn; in 2002, his second solo album Recovering The Wasted Years was released. Tramp would then take a break from his solo career from 2004 through 2008 to tour and record under the name Mike Tramp's White Lion and eventually under the name White Lion, releasing the album Return Of The Pride in 2008.

Since 2009, Tramp has been writing and recording as a solo artist releasing nine studio albums, including his most recent, 2022's For Første Gang. He has also been a consistent presence on the road, both as an acoustic solo artist and with a backing band, with no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

Tramp's latest release is Songs Of White Lion Vol. II, which will drop on August 23, 2024 via Frontiers Music Srl. The album's ten tracks once again see Tramp re-imagining select cuts from his former band White Lion. Tramp is embarking on an extended tour supporting Songs Of White Lion Vol. II, as launched this month.

I had the pleasure -- and I do mean "the pleasure" -- of speaking with Mike Tramp via Zoom, as embedded above and airing via the Long Beach, New York-based Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz television series. Beyond Songs Of White Lion Vol. II, we discussed his history as a New Yorker, his native Denmark, how David Lee Roth changed his life, and whether he plans to write an English-language memoir.