Hi Mike!

Thank you to grant me a little of your time to answer my questions.

First of all, congratulations for your new album. How does it fell to have it out in the street?

MT: Many thanks, it feels pretty good. To be honest, if you had asked me 3 years ago, I would have told you it never would happen, and here we are. Yes I am very happy and I have learned a lot from all of this, it is never too late, and never say never.

It’s been quite a long time since WHITE LION haven’t issued a record, if we except Mike TRAMP’ White Lion. Can you tell me the history of the “Return Of The Pride”?

MT: Once I decided to go ahead and make a new White Lion album, the direction was pretty straightforward. Only the band has been involved from start to finish, and only when we were done with mixing and artwork, did we sign the album deal with Frontiers. On another note, it was a great relief for me to start writing these songs, I realized that once I started writing that many of those songs had been inside me for a long time, dying to get out but couldn’t because of my solo project. But once it was White Lion, they flew out of me like a bat out of hell. It’s great

The tracks sound a bit harder than the classic WHITE LION used to. Is it a will from you, a natural evolution?

MT: I guess that depends how you hear it. But for sure there has to be a natural growth and evolution over the past 17 years, and the same time with a new line up behind me, we do see white Lion take some big steps towards a big musical band with lots of emphasis on big epics and long musical parts. Without losing White Lion’s trademark, I see the band move towards the classic 70’s bands Rainbow, Zeppelin, and Queen etc

What are your favorite tracks on this album?

MT: It is a tie between Sangre de Cristo and Battle At Little Bighorn. I really love epics; it gives me a great canvas for my melody and story telling. It’s funny how easy these songs came to me, I must have completed them in about 30 minutes each, I was that hungry, and once I started arranging them with Claus, the bass player, it just all came together the way I had envisioned it.

You are the last original member of the band. How have you met and recruited the other musicians?

MT: Over the years touring as a solo artist, I have met many musicians who wanted to play with me, and some were waiting for the day I would do White Lion again. These are the guys that are with me, and with this album, we have become White Lion and will move forward on from here, with respect for the past but not living it anymore. Now is what matters and this band has all that is needed to do just that….

Was it a necessity for you to enlist a second guitar player?

MT: Not sure if I follow what you mean. If you’re saying that I should have just played guitar then that’s a big no, I can’t play this kind of stuff. Jamie Law is the guitar player in White Lion and he has delicately found a way to merge his style with some of the old White Lion trademarks that Vito did. But at the same time, we’re not interested in copying anything, we are a new band and each player adds their color to the continuation of White Lion.

You are one of the best vocalists in melodic hard rock, with a very special tone of voice. Aren’t you asked to work with other artists?

MT: thank you very much, makes me feel good especially when there are times I want to give up. I do believe that Mike Tramp is Mike Tramp and that was all I ever wanted to be, never a copy of anyone else. My strength is in doing what I do. This is why I have always just sung my own songs.
No I have never really been asked to work with others, at the same time it would really have to be what I want to do.

I am pretty sure that plenty artists would love singing with you. Would this be possible?

MT: Anything is possible, it starts with contacting me then we go from there and see if it is something I can do vocally.

Mike, tell me your secret... How can you put so much emotion in your voice????

MT: Pain LOL, I don’t have a secret and many times I doubt myself. But I really just sing the song that I have written and don’t take direction. I believe in Mike Tramp and don’t want to be anyone else. Yes it would great to have the power of Ronnie James Dio’s voice, at the same time, maybe it wouldn’t because I like what I am doing both in White Lion and also when I do solo.

Are there singers, in hard rock or not, you admire and would love working with?

MT: Many, but I never liked screamers or singers that just doesn’t control it. I love personality that is more powerful than anyone who thinks they can sing higher than a bird. Phil Lynott made you feel so comfortable even in the hardest of songs, same with Freddie Mercury and Springsteen, Neil Young. At the same time, Dio, Bon Scott, DickInson are great individual rock singers with lots of personality. But there are many out there who sound like the next one and it doesn’t matter how good his technique is, when the personality isn’t there.

Did your European origins influence your musical approach and style?

MT: Very much as both grew up with both folk and 60’s stuff. My music teacher just taught me Bob Dylan and that is my only musical education 5 to 6 chords, but I learned so much from that and it is my foundation of anything I do. I can sit down and play Sangre De Cristo like it was a Bob Dylan song and it still is powerful.

Plenty of melodic hard rock bands are bursting (or reuniting) everywhere, in Europe, in France… What do you think about this revival?

MT: Well when one is doing others will follow. But the real truth here is that the Hard rock fans have almost build a new world where all of us bands exist in, and it’s a way of saying that even though Radio and MTV doesn’t do shit for Hard rock, the fans are there and will be there as long as the bands make good albums and great concerts. Yes, we owe it all to the dedication of the fans.
At the same time, any band looking to get back together, so do it because they have something new and good to offer, not just going out there playing the old songs for money.

Isn’t it frustrating, for an artist to have filled huge arenas back in the 80’s and play today in smaller venues?

MT: Not for me but maybe for someone else. If that is the only place we can play and 300 fans show up, then it is much better than playing Los Angeles for 20,000 people who are sitting down waiting for AC/DC.

More generally, it’s now about 30 years that you’re in the music business. Looking backwards to your career, what are your feelings about it?

MT: It’s hard to believe that has been this long. But the most interesting thing is that I am not done learning and that together with my love of music is what keeps me going.

What about the Internet? Are you a web addict?

MT: No, not really, but at the same time, none of us could accomplish what were doing and exist without the NET. But I wouldn’t mind living in 1974 again I would be quite happy with just that.

Do you think that webzines, like HardRock80.com can play a promotion role for well established big names in music like WHITE LION?

MT: 100% just like the fans, webzines reach to corners of the world and, bit-by-bit, it builds, it is amazing. Yes we are very grateful to all who support not just White Lion, but Hard rock in general.

Finally, Mike, what would you say to your fans? And to the others?

MT: I say thank you so much, and I say remember this:
As an individual we’re just one finger, but together we form a fist and that fist hits real HARD. Long live Rock’n’Roll.

I wish to thank you again for sharing your music with us and answering our questions!