Former WHITE LION frontman Mike Tramp will release his second solo album sung entirely in Danish, “Mand Af En Tid”, on March 15 via Target Records.
The official music video for the LP’s new single, “Ham Vi Vil Være”, can be seen below.
Tramp is probably the only person ever to sing about Jolly Cola, THE BEATLES, sauerkraut (a traditional German food) and karate on the same album. It happened on “For Første Gang”, which was released in 2022 and was Mike Tramp‘s first-ever album in Danish.
With “Mand Af En Tid”, he does it again. This time the songs are about everything from Andy Warhol‘s “Fifteen Minutes Of Fame” to Ingrid & Lillebror, Muhammad Ali, Ole Olsen and roast duck. Again, it all happens in Danish.
Thus, Mike shows that it was not for fun when, to the surprise of most, he released a record in his mother tongue after more than 45 years of singing in English. The Danish songs are a way of telling some of the stories and sharing the experiences that have been gathered together throughout his life.
Says Tramp: “Many of those I meet at my concerts have always followed me, and we have almost grown up together. I can feel that it means something very special to them that I suddenly sing in Danish. They can recognize themselves in the stories and songs because I sing about something that means something to me. I’m a grown man who’s tried a little bit of everything, but I’m still here and don’t need to chase the latest trend. I know who I am and stand by it. Therefore, the record could not be called anything other than ‘Man Of A Time’.”
Tramp‘s career is longer and more colorful than most. He has been the country’s biggest teenage idol, made records in Germany and was an MTV star in the USA. With “Mand Af En Tid”, he makes up for it, and as he states in one of the album’s tracks: “I have chosen my path and the path gave me answers / I came as I was”. Or as he describes himself in another song: “Stiff-necked, stubborn and retro, but really okay”.
“In the past, I have always written songs that should suit a band,” Mike explains. “Therefore, there have been many things that I just couldn’t do because I had to live up to a certain image or a particular sound. With the Danish songs, I go where the songs demand it. If it’s a big mess, well then it’s with strings. If it’s a song about the old nightclubs on Vesterbro, then of course it should also sound like that. I grew up with albums where songs could sound different. ‘Mand Af En Tid’ is such an album.”
On “Mand Af En Tid”, this means that there is room for the pure rock numbers such as the album’s title song and “Storm Og Stille”, the great break-up song “Indeni”, the rock hymn “Altid Farvel” and not least the glimpses of memory in “Ham Vi Vil Være” and in “Nat På Libelle”, which is a song about Tramp‘s late mother.
As with “For Første Gang”, all the songs on “Mand Af En Tid” were written together with Lars Daneskov, and the record was produced by Tramp himself together with Søren Andersen. The record also features Søren Skov, Claus Langeskov, Kenni Andy, Emily Garriock Langeskov and Jørgen Thorup.
“Mand Af En Tid” will be released on LP (black vinyl, limited to 500 units),digipack CD and digital formats. All pre-orders made in Targetshop.dk are signed by Mike Tramp.
Recording lineup:
Mike Tramp – vocals, guitar
Claus Langeskov – bass
Søren Andersen – guitar
Kenni Andy – drums
Søren Skov – piano, B-3, keyboards
Emily Garriock Langeskov – harmonies
Jørgen Thorup – harmonies
Mike Tramp Danish tour dates:
March 15 – Slagelse Musikhus, Badeanstalten, Slagelse
March 16 – Stars, Vordinborg
March 20 – Agger Darling, Vestervig
March 21 – Ferritslev Fritidshus, Ferritslev
March 22 – VINDANMARK, Aarhus
April 12 – BIO Huset, Galten
April 13 – Kulturcafé Ludvig, Sorø
April 19 – Ny Ridehus, Kulturcentret i Næstved, Næstved
April 20 – Gribskov Kultursal, Helsinge
May 10 – Bygningen, Køge
May 11 – Karosserifabrikken, Helsingør
Photo credit: Marcus Nand (courtesy of Target Records)