MIKE TRAMP Explains Decision To Embark On 'The Songs Of White Lion' Tour

In a recent interview with Rockin' Metal Revival, former WHITE LION singer Mike Tramp spoke about his decision to embark on an extensive North American tour which will see him performing all the WHITE LION hits, including "When The Children Cry", "Little Fighter", "Wait", "Lady Of The Valley", "Radar Love" and many others. Joining Tramp for the two-man acoustic show will be lead guitarist Marcus Nand.

He said (hear audio below): "This is something that, obviously, has followed me since the end of '91 when I ended WHITE LION. And then sometime in the late '90s when I started going back out on the road and playing from time to time, people were always asking my agent, 'Is he playing any WHITE LION?' And I would show up a the venues, and some places, the club went as far as putting 'WHITE LION plays here tonight.' So I've had to live with that. Once I started doing my solo show — meaning just me and the acoustic guitar traveling around — my set was 50/50, and I always remembered where I came from. But I just wasn't promoting it that way. I thought that the fans would know me well enough that I've written all the songs, so when I stand out there and play a song, I don't necessarily look at it as being a WHITE LION song or a Mike Tramp solo song. The songs come from the same guitar and the same fingers, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

"Now, I'm releasing this new album ['Second Time Around'], but the tour is basically called 'The Songs Of White Lion'," he continued. "So it's a two-hour, one-hundred-percent vintage classic WHITE LION… Of course, it's me and another guitar player, on electric guitar. We've got a little bit of some drum loops behind, so we're taking these classic songs into a new place, which basically makes you feel quite comfortable, because it's not rehash of '80s style but more about songs that fit in with where I am today. I mean, I'm going up there, 59 years old, singing and presenting the songs current. I'm here today; this is the moment I'm in. It's not yesterday, et cetera, et cetera. This is where I am. And a lot of the fans who have seen the shows really appreciate these down-to-the-ground versions of the classic WHITE LION songs. And I've actually enjoyed playing them this way, because I always said that I would never go out and try to do WHITE LION full band in the old style, because that was me back then; that's not me today."

Mainly active in the 1980s and early 1990s, WHITE LION released its debut album, "Fight To Survive", in 1985. The band had its breakthrough with the double-platinum-selling "Pride" album, which produced two Top 10 hits: "Wait" and "When The Children Cry". The band continued its success with the third album, "Big Game", which achieved gold status.

By the time WHITE LION released its final album, 1991's "Mane Attraction", alternative rock was in the ascendancy, leading to a swift decline of the so-called "hair metal" scene in terms of sales, popularity, radio play, and most importantly, relevance.

Tramp's new solo album, "Second Time Around", was released on May 1 through Target Records.