Train Artistfacts

Train song list

Train Artistfacts

1994-
Pat MonahanVocals, trumpet, sax, vibes, percussion1994-
Rob HotchkissGuitars, bass, harmonica, vocals1994-2003
Jimmy StaffordGuitars, mandolin, vocals1994-
Scott UnderwoodDrums, keyboards1994-2014
Charlie ColinBass, guitar, vocals1994-2003
Jimmy Stafford, Rob Hotchkiss and Pat Monahan formed the original version of the group in 1994 in San Francisco. At the time, they would trade off on lead vocals and Monahan was the drummer. They mostly played acoustic sets at small venues, and it quickly became clear that Monahan was better suited as a singer - and songwriter - than a drummer, so he became their frontman.
Before they got big comfy tour buses, Train toured in a van that caught on fire twice. After the second time, in 1998, they had to rent a Ryder truck to finish their tour.
They were formed in San Francisco, but Monahan came there from Erie, Pennsylvania, where he had been in a band that specialized in Led Zeppelin covers.
Columbia Records - like every other label they approached - rejected Train in 1996 but signed them in 1998 after they released their first album on their own. Columbia re-released the album that year, and in 1999 issued "Meet Virginia" as a single, giving the band their first hit.
After years of struggle, they were more than happy to take some corporate cash when it came their way in 1999. That year, they embarked on the DKNY Jeans Tour with two other acts that each had a minor hit: Splender ("Yeah, Whatever") and Shooter "Life's a Bitch." At each stop, the bands had to take turns performing in-store gigs at department stores on behalf of DKNY before the show that night. Train ended up playing Macy's in New York City and Marshall Field's in Chicago.
The Blue Front Cafe on Haight Street in San Francisco was the first coffeehouse to give Train a regular gig.
After signing their record deal, Train was managed by Jon Landau, the same man who took care of Bruce Springsteen and Shania Twain.
They had some down years after their third album, My Private Nation, was released in 2003. Monahan, who got married when he was 19, went through a divorce a short time later and lost one of his best friends to suicide in 2005. Their next album, For Me, It's You, reflects his mindset and didn't have any hits. The band went on hiatus, but when they returned to make their 2009 album Save Me, San Francisco, they were back in pop form and returned to the charts with feel-good songs like "Hey Soul Sister" and "Marry Me."
That scar on Pat Monahan's chin came from when he was in a car accident at 17 years old. He wasn't wearing a seat belt.
Monahan cites an Aerosmith show he saw at 14 as his influence as a musician. At that show, he caught a drumstick in the chest. He's also cited guitarist Robbie Robertson from The Band as a major influence.
Train's self-titled debut album features Counting Crows keyboardist Charlie Gillingham.
Charlie Colin, their original bass player, died at 58 in 2024 when he slipped and fell in a shower while house-sitting for a friend.
Pat Monahan is a golf aficionado with some high-profile pals in the sport. He plays at the same course as Aussie golfer Cam Davis and counts another Australian golfer, Jason Day, as a friend.
Train founded the Save Me, San Francisco Wine Company in 2011. Their wine business isn't just a rock-star side hustle - it's a major philanthropic effort with proceeds benefiting Family House, a San Francisco charity that provides housing for seriously ill children and their families.

Comments: 1

Patrick from Humboldt, Iathe new album is pretty good.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Slow HandThe Pointer Sisters

"Slow Hand" was a #1 Country hit for Conway Twitty in 1982, a year after The Pointer Sisters recorded it.

The OneMemphis Bleek

Rapper Memphis Bleek's 2005 album track "The One" is notable for featuring a then-unknown Rihanna on the hook. It was the Barbadian singer's first-ever major-label appearance.

Here Comes Your ManPixies

"Here Comes Your Man" is the closest the Pixies came to a hit in America. It was rumored to be about a drug dealer, but Black Francis says it's just a story about some hobos who travel by train and die in an earthquake.

VoodooGodsmack

The line, "I feel the snakebite enter my veins," led many to believe the Godsmack song "Voodoo" is about drugs, but it's really about Wiccan ritual, inspired in part by the Wes Craven movie The Serpent and the Rainbow.

Strawberry Letter 23The Brothers Johnson

"Strawberry Letter 23" by The Brothers Johnson was written by Shuggie Otis, whose girlfriend would send him letters written on strawberry-scented paper.