Mikael Lundgren
LEAD VOCALIST AND KEYBOARDIST
“It could all have ended in the 90’s when Klas slammed the van door shut – and missed my fingers by a hair”
Mikael Lundgren was born and raised in Märsta, north of Stockholm. Music began with the piano at home. Getting to know the instrument, playfully learning about tones and rhythms, Mikael found his way into music. It was when he joined the hard rock band “Night Arrow” that he met Roger Hansson and Klas Bergvall, a relationship which would span over thirty-something-years.
Several musical icons has influenced Mikael’s way of writing music and lyrics; ACDC, Whitesnake and Def Leppard (blues/ hard rock); Toto, Saga, Genesis and Marillion (symphonic rock); and Rick Springfield, Michael Bolton and Foreigner (softer rock approach).
After Night Arrow, the guys had the opportunity to record music to Staffan Hildebrand’s film “Ingen kan älska som vi”. This was the beginning of the band GRACE. The GRACE sound was based on traditional hard rock, but with symphonic undertones. When the film premiered in 1989, GRACE went on tour for almost a year, also claiming their place in the Swedish musical charts.
“I couldn’t really forget the magic that happened when the GRACE boys played together”
— Mikael Lundgren
After the GRACE-era ended in 1989, the band members went on pursuing their own musical careers. Mikael focused on studying Human Resources at Uppsala University, getting a BSc in Human Resource Management. During his studies, he continued playing in numerous bands, including dancebands. He then spent the next ten years with the cover band “Mickarna”, during which time he also wrote and produced three solo albums.
In 2011 he completed his first Bad Radiator demo and contacted the guys, asking them about their interest and possible participation. The rest is, as they say, history. Since then, Bad Radiator has recorded five studio albums with very good reviews.
Since Toto has been a beacon of light since early years, Bad Radiator is now finalizing a Toto tribute album with ten songs. With this, the band is coming full circle.