History

1993-1997: Formation

Following the dissolution of his Led Zeppelin cover band "Rogues Gallery", singer Pat Monahan left his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania in late 1993. He resettled in California and crossed paths with Rob Hotchkiss, who performed in coffee houses and local clubs. The two shared lead vocals, with Hotchkiss on guitar and harmonica, and Monahan playing percussion, including a modified conga attached to a kick-drum pedal. Hotchkiss had been the lead singer for L.A.-based Apostles. After deciding to form a full band, the duo recruited Jimmy Stafford on guitar, Charlie Colin on bass, and Scott Underwood on drums, thus solidifying Train's lineup in 1994. Train attempted to get signed under Columbia Records in 1996, but were rejected. Subsequently, the band decided to release their first self-titled CD independently. By 1997, they were touring nationally, opening concerts for bands such as Barenaked Ladies, Hootie & the Blowfish, Cracker and Counting Crows.

1998-2002: Train, Drops of Jupiter

Train is the band's self-titled debut album. After initially being rejected by Columbia, another of the label’s A&R staff, Tim Devine, picked up the band but signed them to a sub-label, Aware Records. The album was released on February 24, 1998, with a different track listing from its independent counterpart. It was self-produced for $25,000, and three singles from the album were released. The first single released, "Free", was a large hit on pop/mainstream rock stations. The second single, "Meet Virginia" was a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 20, and the third single was "I Am". The album brought the band national fame, and was certified platinum by the RIAA. Following the success of the debut album, the band began working on their second album.

	"Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" was the first single from Drops of Jupiter (2001).
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Drops of Jupiter, the band's second album, was produced by Brendan O' Brien, who has also worked with artists such as Pearl Jam, King's X, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band and Neil Young. Before the release of the second album, the band released the single "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)". The song was a massive hit; it entered the Hot 100 on March 10, 2001, and spent over a year on the chart (54 weeks) before being relegated to the recurrents chart. The song won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Song, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, which was written by Paul Buckmaster, known for his string arrangements for Elton John. (The band reportedly hired Buckmaster expressly to create a sound similar to his arrangement for John's "Burn Down The Mission".)

The album Drops of Jupiter was released on March 27, 2001, and became Train's first multi-platinum album, with the success of the lead single. The album was Train's first top ten album, peaking at number six on the Billboard 200. The album was also a top ten hit in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number eight. "She's on Fire", the second single from Drops of Jupiter was a modest success and was featured in the 2001 comedy The Animal and the 2003 animated comedy Rugrats Go Wild. The album was eventually certified double platinum in the United States and in Canada. It was also certified gold in Australia.

During the Drops of Jupiter tour, the band released a live DVD of a sold out concert in the band's hometown of San Francisco at The Warfield. The DVD was titled "Midnight Moon" and featured Train's hits from the first two albums among others. The concert was recorded on May 26, 2001.

2003-2004: My Private Nation

	"Calling All Angels" "Calling All Angels" was the first single from My Private Nation (2003), and Train's third song in the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100.
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In 2003, Rob Hotchkiss left the band citing creative differences. According to band interviews, Hotchkiss resented being pushed away as a songwriter and decided to leave. Hotchkiss started pursuing a solo career, after having contributed to six of the 11 songs on the (at the time) upcoming album My Private Nation. His solo album, Midnight Ghost, was released in 2004.

The band's third album, My Private Nation, was released in June 2003 with "Calling All Angels" as the lead single. "Calling All Angels" became Train's third top 20 hit, and was a major hit on the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. "Calling All Angels" has been certified RIAA Gold.

In October 2003, bassist Charlie Colin was forced to leave the band because of substance abuse. According to singer Pat Monahan, Colin was "a mess". After a live presentation in Oregon, he called an emergency meeting and told the band that "you can have your bass player, or you can have your singer". In 2004, their non-album song "Ordinary" was featured in the movie Spider-Man 2. In 2007, it was featured again, this time in the NBC series Heroes. The music video for "Ordinary" was in rotation on MTV, but the song only charted on the Adult Top 40 Tracks chart. In July 2005, after the song was featured in an advertising campaign for Cingular, the band released "Get to Me" as the final single from My Private Nation. "Get to Me" (written by Rob Hotchkiss and Pat Monahan) reached number nine on the Billboard Adult Top 40. Paul Buckmaster returned on "My Private Nation" with string arrangements for the tracks "Lincoln Avenue" and "Your Every Color". The album was certified platinum by the RIAA.

The band released their first live album, Alive at Last, in 2004, later winning a Radio Music Award for best artist.

2005-2008: For Me, It's You

	"Cab" "Cab" the first single from For Me, It's You (2006), was the most popular song from the album.
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Train began recording their fourth studio album, For Me, It's You, in Atlanta during the summer of 2005. They released the album's lead single, "Cab", on November 14, 2005. The song peaked at number nine on the Adult Top 40 Tracks chart. The album was released on January 31, 2006 and peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200 chart. However, it failed commercially, becoming the first album of the band's career to fail to receive an RIAA certification. The album was the band's only album to include members Johnny Colt on bass and Brandon Bush playing keyboard.

Starting in November 2006, the band took a three-year hiatus from recording and touring to be with friends and family. The band's lead singer and songwriter Pat Monahan released a solo album, Last of Seven, on September 18, 2007. The album peaked at number 82 on the Billboard 200 chart. Two hit singles off of the album "Her Eyes" and "Two Ways to Say Goodbye" charted at number 9 and number 21 on the Adult Top 40 with "Her Eyes" charting at number 10 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles as well. Pat Monahan also wrote "The Truth" for American Idol winner Kris Allen. "The Truth" charted at number 17 on the Adult Top 40.

2009-2011: Save Me, San Francisco

On August 11, 2009, Train released their first single in more than three years. Fall Out Boy's co-manager Jonathan Daniel helped Train begin their comeback after a couple of off 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. "Hey Soul Sister" is also 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 6 x platinum. The album itself peaked at number 17 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Train's second single from the album, "If It's Love," peaked at number 33, making it their most successful secondary single from any record. "If It's Love" has been RIAA certified gold. Train released the third single from the record, "Marry Me," on October 25, 2010. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 95, the first time Train have 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 called "Shake Up Christmas", which 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." The single also charted at #99 on Billboard's Hot 100. Train's single "Save Me, San Francisco" peaked at number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100, at 22 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and 7 on the Adult Pop Songs chart.

2012-13: California 37

"Drive By" was released worldwide on January 10, 2012. It peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as reaching Platinum certifications in Australia New Zealand, and the United States.

On April 13, 2012, Train released their sixth studio album, California 37. Monahan said that a majority of the writing happened while the group was touring Save Me, San Francisco. "I didn't spend 3 months or 5 months writing, I just wrote throughout the course of the last 3 years," said Monahan. "We have 13 songs that we've recorded and I want to hear every single one of them over and over again." The album release was preceded by a promotional single of "Feels Good at First" on March 21, for iTunes Store customers who pre-ordered the album. The album debuted at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart, and became their highest-charting album since Drops of Jupiter which peaked at number eight in 2001. In the United States, California 37 debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 76,000 copies. It is their fourth top 10 album and their highest-charting album in the US.

Train's next single, "50 Ways to Say Goodbye", was released on June 11, with its "self-deprecating lyrics about the failure in gracefully ending a relationship", coupled with "slightly tacky mariachi horns". It peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, and charted for 12 weeks. and was certified gold by the RIAA on September 20. For the summer of 2012, Train toured mostly on the east coast of the United States.

In late July, Train demanded that the Family First New Zealand, an organization that opposes same-sex marriage in New Zealand, refrain from the unauthorized use of "Marry Me" from its "Protect Marriage" website.

In November, Train released "Bruises", a country-oriented duet with Ashley Monroe. The song has also been recorded with different female singers: For Canada, the song was recorded in both English and French with Marilou, and for Australia with Delta Goodrem.

In December, Train released the single, "Mermaid". The group would later film the song's video at the 2013 Pro Bowl in Honolulu.

Train was scheduled to perform at the Boy Scouts of America's 2013 National Scout Jamboree, along with singer Carly Rae Jepsen. In March 2013, both backed out of performing for the event and cited the controversy over the BSA policy on gays as the reason. Train released a statement saying the band "strongly opposes any kind of policy that questions the equality of any American citizen ... We look forward to participating in the Jamboree this summer, as long as they make the right decision before then". The Boy Scout Jamboree subsequently brought in Three Doors Down as the headlining band.

Train toured the United States and Canada from July 11 - August 14, 2013 in 25 headlining shows titled Mermaids of Alcatraz Tour. The tour included singer Gavin DeGraw, The Script, Michael Franti & Spearhead. Country music singer Ashley Monroe joined part of the tour, singing "Bruises" and one or two of her songs from her album during Train's set.

2014: Bulletproof Picasso

In November 2013, Train announced plans for a new album to be released in the summer of 2014. On May 5, 2014, guitarist Jimmy Stafford tweeted: "An anagram of the first single from the new @train album is now available! SGIJANNULAEBENEL. Yep." which fans quickly deciphered and replied "Angel in Blue Jeans". On June 5, Scott Underwood posted a message thanking fans for their support as he leaves to pursue writing, producing, and other music-related ventures. He has been in the band for 20 years. He is being replaced by Drew Shoals. At the time of release, the only original member's left were Pat Monahan and guitarist Jimmy Stafford. On June 9, it was announced that the album would be titled Bulletproof Picasso. It was released on September 16, 2014. The album is led by the single "Angel in Blue Jeans" written by the Norwegian Duo "Espionage".

2015-present: Christmas in Tahoe

On May 14, 2015, it was announced the band was recording a Christmas album. The album, titled Christmas in Tahoe, was released on November 13, 2015, exclusively on Amazon.

Performances and media appearances

This is a list of major performances by Train at various events and television shows. It does not include concerts from their regular tours.

Date	Event	Notes
000000002002-04-14-0000April 14, 2002	MTV Icon episode "Aerosmith"	Event was recorded on April 14, and broadcast on April 17. Performed "Dream On"
000000002009-12-16-0000December 16, 2009	CSI: NY episode "Second Chances"	Performed "Hey Soul Sister" and "Calling All Angels". Monahan is questioned as a possible suspect.
000000002010-05-26-0000May 26, 2010	Bon Jovi concert, MetLife Stadium	special guest star, opener
000000002010-07-12-0000July 12, 2010	2010 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby, Angel Stadium of Anaheim	Performed "Calling All Angels" prior to the contest
000000002011-03-12-0000March 12, 2011	Shakira's The Sun Comes Out World Tour, Bogota
000000002011-04-08-0000April 8, 2011	San Francisco Giants home opener	Performed "Save Me, San Francisco" and sang the National Anthem
000000002012-01-02-0000January 2, 2012	2012 Discover Orange Bowl, Miami Gardens	Halftime show
000000002012-02-26-0000February 26, 2012	2012 Daytona 500	Monahan sang the National Anthem
000000002012-03-27-0000March 27, 2012	Late Show with David Letterman	Performed "Drive By"
000000002012-03-27-0000March 27, 2012	The Howard Stern Show	Performed "Drive By" and three other songs including a Van Halen cover
000000002012-04-01-0000April 1, 2012	Academy of Country Music Awards	Performed "Marry Me" with Martina McBride
000000002012-04-17-0000April 17, 2012	Dancing with the Stars (United States)	Performed "Drive By"
000000002012-05-22-0000May 22, 2012	Opie and Anthony, Sirius XM	Performed acoustic set
000000002012-05-22-0000May 22, 2012	Q102 Springle Ball 2012	Performed "Drive By", "Hey Soul Sister", and "Drops of Jupiter"
000000002012-05-25-0000May 25, 2012	The View	Performed "Drive By" for Elisabeth Hasselback's birthday celebration
000000002012-06-10-0000June 10, 2012	Dancing with the Stars (Australia)	Performed "Drive By"
000000002012-07-12-0000July 12, 2012	Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
000000002012-09-24-0000September 24, 2012	Sesame Street episode "Get Lost, Mr. Chips"	season opener, performed "Five By", a parody of "Drive By", with Elmo and Count von Count
000000002012-10-28-0000October 28, 2012	NFL game "St. Louis Rams vs. New England Patriots", Wembley Stadium, London	Pre-game performance
000000002012-12-19-0000December 19, 2012	Miss Universe 2012	Performed "Drive By", "Mermaid", and "Shake Up Christmas".
000000002012-12-31-0000December 31, 2012	New Year's Eve in Times Square	Performed "Mermaid" and cover of John Lennon's "Imagine", the latter of which was featured on several networks including NBC
000000002013-01-27-0000January 27, 2013	2013 Pro Bowl	Pre-game performance
000000002013-02-01-0000February 1, 2013	VH1's The Best Super Bowl Concert Ever
000000002013-07-26-0000July 26, 2013	Today	Toyota Concert Series
000000002014-01-31-0000January 31, 2014	The Howard Stern Birthday Bash	house band for the evening's festivities to celebrate Howard Stern's 60th birthday
000000002014-06-09-0000June 9, 2014	The Howard Stern Show	premiere of "Angel in Blue Jeans" plus announcement of new album title
000000002015-04-13-0000April 13, 2015	Today	performed "Bulletproof Picasso" on Today Show
000000002015-11-15-0000November 15, 2015	Pandora's Holiday Celebrations on Ice	Performance from Greensboro Coliseum,Greensboro, N.C. Aired on ABC late November (29) and mid-December (13). Train played selections from their holiday album Christmas in Tahoe, as well as a few of their biggest hits. Among the songs Train performed: "Shake Up Christmas," "What Christmas Means to Me," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "River" and more.

Related ventures

Train founded the Save Me, San Francisco Wine Company in 2011. With a partnership with ACME Wine Movers, the business sells wine that is named after the group's various hits, which include: Drops of Jupiter California Red, Calling All Angels Chardonnay, Soul Sister Pinot Noir, California 37 Cabernet Sauvignon, and Hella Fine Merlot. The wine is made in the Livermore Valley. The company partnered with Ghirardelli Chocolate Company to sell chocolates and confections to pair with the wine. A portion of the proceeds go to the Family House of San Francisco, which supports families of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Train supported Little Kids Rock along with COUNTRY Financial through the Road Trips and Guitar Picks campaign. In addition to raising money and autographing a guitar for auction, Train met with and sang “Hey Soul Sister” with a some Little Kids Rock students in Atlanta.

In popular culture

"Calling All Angels" became an unofficial anthem of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball team; it was played at Angel Stadium before every game during the 2010 season, while the video screen showed a montage of the team's history.

"Calling All Angels" was featured at the ending montage of the One Tree Hill episode "Life in a Glass House". "Marry Me" was featured on the episode "The Other Half of Me"

The album's second single, "When I Look to the Sky", was used for the trailer of the 2004 film Jersey Girl.

The band was parodied in the "Band Face-Off" sketch on the January 26, 2013 airing of Saturday Night Live, where they invade a bar and get in a conflict with Adam Levine, and are later joined by Jason Mraz and John Mayer. Train made a statement afterwards that they approved of the parody.

"Meet Virginia" was featured in the Family Guy episode "Turkey Guys".

Band members

Current members Pat Monahan - lead vocals, guitar, tambourine, Jimmy Stafford - lead guitar, ukulele, backing vocals Jerry Becker - rhythm guitar, keyboards, piano, backing vocals Hector Maldonado - bass guitar, percussion, backing vocals Drew Shoals- drums Nikita Houston - backing vocals Sakai Smith - backing vocals

Former members

• Rob Hotchkiss - rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Charlie Colin - bass guitar, backing vocals
• Tony Lopacinski - bass guitar, backing vocals, guitar
• Brandon Bush - keyboards, piano, Hammond organ
• Johnny Colt - bass guitar
• Scott Underwood- drums, percussion, keyboards, piano, programming

Touring

• Ana Lenchantin - cello, dancing, percussion, backing vocals
• Brian Switzer - trumpet

Timeline

Discography

Main articles: Train discography and List of Train (band) songs

Studio albums

• Train (1998)
• Drops of Jupiter (2001)
• My Private Nation (2003)
• For Me, It's You (2006)
• Save Me, San Francisco (2009)
• California 37 (2012)
• Bulletproof Picasso (2014)
• Christmas in Tahoe (2015)
• Train Does Led Zeppelin II (2016)

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

The Grammy Awards are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Train have been nominated for eight and won three.

Year	Recipient/Nominated work	Award	Result
2002	"Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)"	Record of the Year	Nominated
		Song of the Year	Nominated
		Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal	Nominated
		Best Rock Song	Won
		Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)	Won
2004	"Calling All Angels"	Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal	Nominated
		Best Rock Song	Nominated
2011	"Hey, Soul Sister" (Live)	Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal	Won

American Music Awards The American Music Awards are determined by a poll of music buyers, and as a result is more of a representation of public opinion. Train have received three nominations.

Year	Recipient/Nominated work	Award	Result
2010	Train	Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Duo/Group	Nominated
		Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist	Nominated
2012	Train	Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist	Nominated

Billboard Music Awards

Year	Recipient/Nominated work	Award	Result
2011	Train	Top Rock Artist	Won
	"Hey, Soul Sister"	Top Rock Song	Won

ASCAP Pop Music Awards

Year	Recipient/Nominated work	Award	Result
2011	"Hey, Soul Sister"	Song of the Year	Won

CMT Music Awards

Year	Recipient/Nominated work	Award	Result
2011	"A Broken Wing"	CMT Performance of the Year	Nominated

Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards

Year	Recipient/Nominated work	Award	Result
2011	"Hey, Soul Sister"	Favorite Song	Nominated

Peoples Choice Awards

Year	Recipient/Nominated work	Award	Result
2013	Train	Favorite Band	Nominated

[ Source: Wikipedia ]