Interview: Michael Learns To Rock and the Australian Tour 2026
For more than three decades, the tracks of Michael Learns To Rock have been the anthems to countless souls across Asia and beyond.
Since their formation in 1988, the Danish band have sold over 11 million albums worldwide and achieved more than 1.5 billion streams. Their social media following exceeds 4 million people. They have performed over 1,000 concerts in Asia, Europe, North America and South Africa. In October 2022, they played their largest show ever to more than 110,000 fans in India. Their single “Take Me To Your Heart” has accumulated nearly 600 million streams in Asia, with the accompanying album selling more than 275,000 copies in China alone, making it one of the best-selling international albums in the country.
In this exclusive interview, Sheldon Ang sits with Mikkel Lentz, guitarist and founding member of the iconic Danish band, ahead of their much-anticipated tour of Australia, including a stop in Perth on February 11 (Sydney is already sold out, with Melbourne and the Gold Coast selling fast).
As the band prepare to bring their greatest hits to Australian shores, Mikkel reflects on the band’s unexpected journey from Denmark to international stardom, sharing insights into their enduring popularity, particularly in Asia, where their heartfelt ballads, such as “25 Minutes” and “That’s Why (You Go Away),” have become cultural staples. He opens up about the band’s origins, the creative process behind their timeless hits, and the life of touring.
The full interview is available in the video below
The 90s in Asia
Sheldon: Thank you so much for joining us. I’m in Perth. So, you’ll also be visiting Perth on February 11.
Mikkel: Yeah, we are!
Sheldon: Before we go on, I have to tell you that I got to know Michael Learns to Rock in 1996 when I went back to Malaysia for holidays. Back then, every mall, every “pasar malam” – which is a night market, every taxi driver, every bus played Michael Learns To Rock; 25 Minutes That’s Why (You Go Away), Paint My Love – sometimes even in Tagalog. It must be so surreal.
Mikkel: It is. People asked, Does it feel normal? You must be used to it by now. But it really is rather special – in a good way. It’s one of the things in life that you cannot predict the road that you take in your life.
Sometimes life itself just picks the road…your destiny. And it felt like that. It felt like what we did back in Denmark just tapped into the Southeast Asian spirit. People asked me, What is the secret? What is the clue behind? We honestly don’t have a clue, because we just did the music, which felt natural, true and honest to us. And it really just happened…and we’re still touring.
Sheldon: Yeah. Fantastic. So the name Michael Learns To Rock is Michael, the British version of Mikkel (jokingly asked)?
Mikkel: (Chuckles) No, it’s not. Well, Jascha (lead vocalist) came up with the name. It was right in the last minute because we had to deliver a demo tape for a contest we were participating in back in 1988. And I think on the day of the deadline for the demo, Jascha just wrote Michael Learns to Rock on the cassette tape. He went to the office and gave it to the contest, and then we participated and we won.
One of the prizes for winning was to open a big festival in Denmark. We didn’t headline, but we were on the poster as Michael Learns to Rock. Then we thought, Okay, it’s too late. We didn’t even discuss it in the band. It was just Jascha who came up with it, and I think it relates to Michael Jackson. He was called the King of Pop and Michael likes to rock. It was meant as a joke. We really laughed about it, but now it’s too late to change.
The Fairy Tale of 25 Minutes Too Late
Sheldon: But hey, it works. One of my favorite songs, not just from MLTR’s discography – but ever – is 25 Minutes. It’s a metaphor for regret. That you do not know what you’ve got until it’s gone sort of them. It’s a very heartbreaking song. Gut-wrenching. Is that song based on one of the band members’ experiences?
Mikkel: It’s not. It’s like a fairy tale. It’s like a little movie. That’s the way I got it (as in understood it). When you’re listening to the song, it’s like flying away to a little tale. And you could almost based a movie on that song. It is very picturesque. And you could almost based a movie on that song. It is very picturesque. But no, it wasn’t. Jascha wrote it, the singer. None of it is actually real. I don’t know where it came from. It was just his imagination.
Sheldon: Yeah, but to write those lyrics, and to compose that sort of music, with such lyrics like I saw her standing in front of the church, the only place in town I didn’t search, she looks so happy, in her wedding dress, but she’s crying while she’s saying this (Boy I’ve missed your kisses all the time but this is, twenty five minutes too late). I mean, it feels like you’d need to experience it in real life to project that sort of visceral feeling into lyrics.
Mikkel: Absolutely! It’s true. I don’t know what it is, it just works. Sometimes you do some things. You do something else, and you can do this. Some things work and some don’t. And maybe it’s also the way he sings the lyrics, the presentation in the music.
And that’s also why I really like to play that song, because every night when we play it, it’s like walking into this little fairytale, and it stays there. It’s like hope, and I get it…so I guess that’s why it connects with people.
Love is one big illusion
Sheldon: Another sad song is That’s Why (You Go Away). Do you believe that love is one big illusion (in the lyrics of the song)?
Mikkel: It really is. And it’s the most powerful feeling in the world. And I think love is the emotion behind everything, even the opposite is which is evil. Hate if you don’t get love – we tend to get anxious, and maybe do some bad stuff. So love is really the biggest emotion in the universe, I think.
And at the same time, it’s really is difficult to find the one and only. Some people find the one and only, and then they split up, and sometimes they both agree. Sometimes they don’t agree, and it’s the worst thing in the world, the worst feeling in the world, being utterly in love, then splitting up.
So I really understand the statement Love is one big illusion. But not everybody has the luck to find love. And also love is more than between a man and his wife. It’s also between human beings caring for children with friends, parents. It’s such a big word. And you can’t discuss the impact. Sadly, not everybody is lucky enough to have love in their life. Maybe for a short moment. So for the whole life, we all search for that all the time.
The Pearl of the Orient
Sheldon: Those songs are very sad songs. Why do you think those songs are so popular, especially in Asia, especially in Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Philippines? They are beautiful songs, but the theme is sad.
Mikkel: It’s really strange. It could say that a good song is a good song. It’s epic all over the world if it’s a good song. But for us, it hasn’t been like that. First of all, I think Asians were not prejudiced by the fact that we don’t come from England or America.
They didn’t know where we came from when they heard our songs on the radio; they didn’t care. I know that we have struggled in America and in England because it’s like you don’t have to make up songs for us … we are actually champions at that. So, we’re not really interested (in them making songs for us).
Our record companies in England and America weren’t interested, even though the songs were pretty huge and all over Asia. So you can’t predict and you can’t plan success. But I think there’s something in sound and the words, again, that tap into Asians without knowing exactly what it is.
I think maybe they have a connection to this karaoke thing, which is big in Asia. We heard that in the 90s, we were very big in karaoke, in pubs. People actually went there and sang. That helped us with our songs. And, so, it was like proof of something that our songs worked. And that’s something that we weren’t aware of?
Sheldon: Hey, I mean, I sang to your songs but I wont sing to you!
Mikkel: (chuckles) It’s like I said, beautiful. Last night we played in Kuala Lumpur in front of five thousand people, and they were singing and cheering, and they were almost crying, you know, when we played. We could feel that. It was like the soundtrack of their lives. They kind of grew up with these songs, which to most people the songs are like 20 or 30 years old. But when we play them, it’s like walking back into being there again. I think a very powerful thing about music.
Sheldon: But not all songs are sad. There’s Paint My Love. It’s a song about hope. You’ve got Sleeping Child, Out of the Blue, and Nothing to Lose. All songs about love and hope. And it feels like I’ve gone through all the songs in my life, and I think that’s why we could connect so well. That’s for me anyway.
Mikkel: Yeah. That’s beautiful. Glad to know.
The Creation of Beauty
Sheldon: I’m curious about the song creation. The songs that we mentioned have a very strong piano element. So when Jascha, you and Kare created the songs, did you guys start with the piano first as the blueprint, and then you carried on with the guitar and the lyrics?
Mikkel: Yeah, I know for sure that Sleeping Child was actually a lullaby. He was composing it on the acoustic guitar and he sang it to his daughter, who was a little kid. So that was composed with the guitar. But all the other songs, like 25 Minutes, That’s Why (You Go Away), Someday, were all written on the piano.
Be more into experimenting with trying with beats, just jamming, maybe with the piano or just the synthesizer. But all the big songs were written on the piano.
The Australian Tour – The Perfect Setlist
Sheldon: Michael Learns to Rock are coming to Australia in February, and thank you so much for adding Perth. I’m so happy. Have you been to Australia before, even as a tourist?
Mikkel: Never. We were in transit in Brisbane before going to New Guinea, ten years ago. Yeah. But that’s the only time I’ve been to Australia. It’s an old dream. We got a new manager, and he was like, okay, you guys are actually pretty big in the Asian communities all around the world. And, in August, we played for two weeks in America. It was sold out, so going to Australia is really awesome.
Sheldon: Lots of Pinoys in Sydney and Melbourne, and lots of Malaysians in Perth. I’m pretty sure you will do very well.
Mikkel: I’d also hope that we’ll see some Asians, because, I mean, they really know how to fire up the concerts by singing and feeling. It’s kind of because when we play in Europe, people are a bit more restricted. They don’t really show their emotions as much, only with the jokes. But Asians seem to be really very much in contact and not afraid of showing their true emotions, which as a musician, is pretty touching.
Sheldon: So will this concert be the greatest hits of Michael Learns to Rock?
Mikkel: It actually will. It was the first time we went to America, and soon to Australia and also to London. And we’re definitely going to play in front of a lot of people who have never heard of these songs before. We tried to create the perfect setlist.
I think that people will be interested; instead of playing new songs, we’ll try to play the favourite songs. Great that you’ll see us for the first time. So it’s like the greatest hits.
Sheldon: We’re looking forward to that. Like I said to you earlier, I’ve been listening to your music for 30 years, and so surreal to be talking to you. So it’s such a great honor. Thank you so much.
I’ll see you backstage. I’m looking forward to seeing you in Perth. And terima kasih kasih to you,
Mikkel: Ah Terima Kasih, terima kasih to you, Sheldon.
MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES 2026
Wednesday 11th February
Riverside Theatre, Perth
Friday 13th February
Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne
Saturday 14th February
Darling Harbour Theatre, Sydney
Sunday 15th February
Star Theatre, Gold Coast
All ticket sale details available here
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About the interview: Sheldon Ang, photographer, writer and the founder of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to over 200 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), KISS, Metallica, Iron Maiden, RHCP and P!NK with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, UB40, Delta Goodrem, and Roxette. He has interviewed rockers Suzi Quatro (pictured below), the late Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 100 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.
