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AMSTERDAM – In 2001 Train had a worldwide hit with the song Drops Of Jupiter (Tell Me). After a long hiatus, this year the American band topped charts all around the globe again, this time with Hey, Soul Sister. “We basically started over”, frontman Pat Monahan says.

Train debuted in 1998 with a self-titled record. The San Francisco based band had to work hard to tie the knots together and played “for free or for beer”. The breakthrough came with second album Drops Of Jupiter (2001) and the single of the same name. On fifth studio album Save Me, San Francisco (2009), of which almost 300.000 copies were sold, Train returns to it’s roots.

To do so, some major changes had to be made, Monahan (1969) says. There were cutbacks in and two band members left. “When we got back together, Scott [Underwood] and Jimmy [Stafford] and I, we realised there were some people in our lives that didn't fit”, Monahan explains. “It just wasn't family.  So we basically started over as the three of us.”

The problems within the band arose after the release of fourth album For Me, It’s You in 2006. “As time went on we wanted to make songs for the radio. That's the wrong approach. We needed to stop, so that we could give value to what we do again.” The commercial failure of For Me, It’s You definitely played a role, Monahan confesses. “We were not happy, so we continued to make mistakes. We weren't really enjoying each other's company.”

The album title Save Me, San Francisco says it all: Train wanted to go back to the band’s early days and asked the city where it al started for her blessing. “We still go there all the time”, Monahan says. “Basically Save Me, San Francisco is a ‘thank you’ record to San Francisco, and a plea for help. You know, like: help us be that band again.” The singer thinks Train succeeded in that mission. “Save Me, San Francisco began with a lot of fun and that same feeling of wanting to be together, wanting to write music, wanting to perform.”

The fact that Hey, Soul Sister made it to number one in seven countries and was the best sold iTunes single in five countries, to Monahan is more exciting than the success of Drops Of Jupiter, almost ten years ago. De world isn’t only listening to new material, but is also rediscovering old Train songs. Monahan: “Drops Of Jupiter was, like, number 50 on iTunes because people were re-finding it.” The recent success has convinced him that Train is here to stay. ““We won't ever take this long of a break again. Even if we go do other projects, we know that this is home.”

Interview and text: Tom Springveld

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