Train is a Grammy Award winning rock band formed in San Francisco, California. To date, three of their albums have peaked in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and have sold a total of over 4 million albums in the US. Four of their songs have been top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 including their highest charting (#3) and best selling (certified 5x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA) worldwide hit “ Hey, Soul Sister. “Train has found success on modern adult contemporary radio stations, where they have had four #1 songs on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart, the latest being to date their most successful (peaking at #34) secondary single off an album, “ If It’s Love”. What started as two guys with strong voices and one guitar became San Francisco’s Train by 1994. It was in late 1993 that Patrick Monahan left Erie, PA, and met up with the Los Angeles band, The Apostles. Lead singer/guitarist Rob Hotchkiss and fellow guitarist Jim Stafford had basically disbanded by this time, but the chance meeting with Patrick Monahan proved fortuitous, as Hotchkiss extended an invitation to the crooning Monahan to become a two-man band. After making exhaustive appearances in low-key coffeehouses, they decided to form a full band and enlisted former Apostles members Stafford and bassist Charlie Colin. Colin brought along his good friend, drummer Scott Underwood, and Train were on their way. Since 2008, Hector Maldonado (bass, guitar, vocals, percussion) and Jerry Becker (keyboards, guitar) have been touring and recording with the group around the world. Cello player Ana Lenchantin joined the band for a few months during the last leg of the Save Me, San Francisco tour from June-October 2011.
In late 2009, Train released its first single in more than three years. The song "Hey, Soul Sister", from their fifth studio album, Save Me, San Francisco, was released on October 27, 2009. The single was a major success, becoming their second-career top ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in its 16th week on the chart, after surging from number 23 to number seven during the week of January 30, 2010, largely because of an 81% increase in digital sales from the previous week. Like their earlier hit "Get to Me", this song gained further popularity when it was used as the commercial soundtrack to launch Samsung's 3D television during the Oscars. It is now their highest-charting single since "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)". "Hey Soul Sister" is now the most played song in Australian radio history, the most downloaded iTunes song of 2010, the best selling single in Columbia Records history, and has been certified RIAA quintuple platinum. The album itself peaked at number 17 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album received positive reviews from critics and has restored Train's popularity. The album has reached platinum status.
Train's second single off the album, "If It's Love", peaked at number 34, making it their most successful secondary single off any record. "If It's Love has been RIAA certified gold. Pat Monahan has revealed to Billboard.com, "I feel incredible – not just motivated but like I've found this special place in myself as a writer. I also feel like this means that people want to hear more Train music, and that gets me excited. I want to do that. I want to create something cool." Train released the third single off the record, "Marry Me", on October 25. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 95, the first time Train has had three consecutive singles on this chart. The song peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. "Marry Me" was featured on One Tree Hill on February 1, 2011. "Marry Me" has been certified RIAA Gold. Train released a Christmas single which is available on the Golden Gate edition of Save Me San Francisco. The single is entitled "Shake Up Christmas". It was featured in commercials internationally as part of Coca Cola's Christmas commercial series in 2010. The single charted at number 12 on the "Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks".
Train performed alongside Shakira in Bogota as a part of The Pop Festival which is the South American leg tour of Shakira's The Sun Comes Out World Tour. The performance took place in Simón Bolívar Park, a massive concert holding arena. They performed in front of a crowd of 35,000 spectators. Train is currently working on a sixth studio album while they are on tour, which ends in mid-September. The band plans to record the album mid-November 2011. One song called "The Least I Can Do", which features a ukulele in it, has been confirmed to be on the album. Train has been performing the song "Drive By", set to be on the new album, during their 2011 Summer Tour. Another song entitled "Bruises" is set to appear as well with Pat stating "it could be a really big career song for Train." They are hoping that the first single comes out in February 2012. The album is to be released in about March or April 2012.
Train is a Grammy Award winning rock band formed in San Francisco, California. To date, three of their albums have peaked in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 and have sold a total of over 4 million albums in the US. Four of their songs have been top 20 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 including their highest charting (#3) and best selling (certified 5x Multi-Platinum by the RIAA) worldwide hit “ Hey, Soul Sister. “Train has found success on modern adult contemporary radio stations, where they have had four #1 songs on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks chart, the latest being to date their most successful (peaking at #34) secondary single off an album, “ If It’s Love”. What started as two guys with strong voices and one guitar became San Francisco’s Train by 1994. It was in late 1993 that Patrick Monahan left Erie, PA, and met up with the Los Angeles band, The Apostles. Lead singer/guitarist Rob Hotchkiss and fellow guitarist Jim Stafford had basically disbanded by this time, but the chance meeting with Patrick Monahan proved fortuitous, as Hotchkiss extended an invitation to the crooning Monahan to become a two-man band. After making exhaustive appearances in low-key coffeehouses, they decided to form a full band and enlisted former Apostles members Stafford and bassist Charlie Colin. Colin brought along his good friend, drummer Scott Underwood, and Train were on their way. Since 2008, Hector Maldonado (bass, guitar, vocals, percussion) and Jerry Becker (keyboards, guitar) have been touring and recording with the group around the world. Cello player Ana Lenchantin joined the band for a few months during the last leg of the Save Me, San Francisco tour from June-October 2011.