Train gets a second wind

MANILA, Philippines - Back in 2007, Jimmy Stafford, guitarist of the Grammy-winning rock band Train, thought it was the end for them when he and members Pat Monahan (vocalist) and Scott Underwood (drums, percussion) decided to take a three-year hiatus.

Train, formed in 1994, soared to popularity in the late ’90s with the overwhelming success of its second album Drops of Jupiter, which won the group two Grammys for Best Rock Song and Best Song Arrangement.

This was followed up by a certified double platinum album in the US with the hit single Calling All Angels.

However, the band’s fourth album was not commercially successful and that was when Train disappeared from the public eye.

In 2009, however, the band resurrected and released its fifth album, the critically-acclaimed Save Me San Francisco and the single Hey, Soul Sister.

Hey, Soul Sister became a phenomenal hit and pumped new life into the band’s career.

Hey, Soul Sister, Train’s second-career Top 10 hit on the Billboard 100, is the most downloaded iTunes song of 2010, the most played song in the Australian radio history and best-selling single in Colombia records history.

The band also won its third Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a duo or a group last year for Hey, Soul Sister.

Looking back, Stafford said the hiatus actually benefited the band.

“When we took the break, we were not sure if we would still get together. I thought I would just sit at home and count my money, thankfully that didn’t happen,” Stafford told The STAR in a phone interview from his home in Nashville, Tennessee.

“The biggest challenge for us is going through that hiatus. We realized now that we needed to take that break because if not, we will no longer be a band. We realized that when we did Save Me San Francisco,” he said.

Buoyed by the resurgent fame and success of Hey, Soul Sister, Train has recently released its sixth album California 37, and one of the singles in the album, Drive By, is enjoying massive airplay and already on Top 40 of Billboard Hot 100. It is also No. 5 on iTunes Top 10 all over the world.

Stafford revealed that California 37 is its best album to date.

Train culled the album’s name after State Route 37, a curvy highway that stretches itself across the northern end of San Francisco in California.

“This is our best album and it has the best group of songs from the front to the finish,” Stafford mused.

The album is filled with buoyant melodies, reminiscent of the strains of Hey, Soul Sister and Save Me, San Francisco.

For the album, Train collaborated once again with the Norwegian songwriting-producing team Espionage (who wrote Beyoncé’s Irreplaceable), who co-wrote Hey, Soul Sister.

The songs evoke break-up wishes, have pick-up lines and even have an autobiographical account.

Again, Stafford did not expect Drive By’s commercial success.

“It was really unexpected and now with Drive By’s popularity, we are on the road again, touring,” he revealed.

The band has just finished its tour in San Francisco and is currently in Europe for the album showcase. It will have an album tour in Australia and a concert in the Philippines and the rest of Asia in June.

Stafford admitted the album isn’t as full and lush as its previous albums.

“We simplified the recording process. The songs in California 37 are danceable but it also has rock and some acoustic riffs. I think our music has been pigeonholed for some time but this time, we were not restricted. I think we’ve been diverse in our songs, in our choices, in the genres we chose for this album. Our album reflects our passion for songwriting,” Stafford added.

Stafford also revealed that the songs were written while on tour, without feeling any pressure to come out with hit songs.

“We took time to write the songs while on tour and we really enjoyed the process of songwriting and putting up the album,” he said.

Among the songs in the album, Stafford takes a particular liking to Bruises, Love When We Fall In Love and You Can Finally Meet My Mom.

“We thought this record really came from the heart. It’s a record we can be happy and proud of, at the same time, everybody else loves it. Putting this up was a lot of fun. Hopefully, people will love it,” he said.

Stafford felt they are stronger now as a band and as buddies.

“There have been disagreements and fights with the three of us before but now, everything has changed. We always try to understand each other now. We’ve known each other for 18 years. At the beginning we were at each other’s throats, but now we’re like family, we have a lot of respect for each other, we give each other space. This is a happier group of guys now than five years ago. We like each other now,” Stafford laughed.

He said performing in Asia has been very special to them. The concert in the Philippines last year was especially memorable, according to Stafford.

“Until now, I get goosebumps everytime I remember our performance in the Philippines. The crowd was awesome, they sang along with us and the reception was really great. We can’t wait to go back to Asia. We love the Philippines very much, it (was) an amazing time.”