As the singer of Train, Pennsylvania native Pat Monahan has penned some of the biggest radio singles in recent memory, from the omnipresent “Drops of Jupiter” to “Calling All Angels” and “Cab” (from the band’s newest release, For Me, It’s You).
That being said, there’s a 50/50 chance that you’ve never even heard his name before. Despite the fact that Monahan’s won Grammys and sold over a million copies of every album he’s released, he’s somehow maintained a Cheney-like shroud of mystery that most pop stars would kill for.
Fly Magazine scored a few minutes on the phone with Monahan, who, as it turns out, is actually quite the talker. Here are his thoughts on the band’s squeaky-clean image, the meaning behind “Drops of Jupiter” (yes, there actually is one) and why the video game “Halo” is the new crack.

Fly Magazine: So, with “Cab” it looks like you have yet another single headed to the top of the charts. Does that ever lose its thrill for you?
Pat Monahan: Never. No. It’s maybe more thrilling now because of having been a band for 11 years. Feeling like you’re still relevant on radio feels pretty incredible. I think very few artists or bands are doing it. Mariah Carey came back, U2 never went away. There aren’t a lot of bands from my era left, and I like to think that maybe we’re a part of a new era.

FM: When you think about stuff like that – the fact that you can stay relevant, that every album you make ends up going platinum – what of that is most important to you at this point in your career?
PM: Really, what the important thing is for me now is that enough people care about this band that I can go to a different city every night and play to 3,000 to 5,000 people, and they’re all as enthusiastic about the first song as they are the last. When I think of winning Grammys and having songs on the radio and all of the things that go into making records, it just doesn’t matter. We’re a live performance band. It’s really where our hearts are. So as long as we can do that, I think that we’ll be a happy, content entity in this crumbling world of music.

FM: It must be pretty amazing to reach that point where you’re drawing those kinds of people and they’re not just waiting to hear your one single. They’re buying into the whole package.
PM: Yeah, and it’s such a relief to not hear, “Dude, play ‘Drops of Jupiter!’” after every song. It’s nice to know that people really want to hear the deep cuts on all of our albums, and we give that to them.
         
FM: I read an article recently calling you one of the sturdiest bands in rock and roll, in reference to the fact that you keep coming out with these timeless-sounding singles like “Drops of Jupiter.” Do you feel like you’ve stumbled upon some recipe to develop songs like that?
PM: I wish there was a recipe, dammit! I think that the songs that end up mattering for our band are the songs that have a deeper lyric than others. Catchy singles aren’t my band’s forte. We’re not a jingle band. “Drop it like it’s hot!” I wish I was. I wish I could write that song. It’s incredible. But the way we do it is, I think the more personal and sincere a song is, the better the chance is that people will relate to it and want to be a part of it. If there is a recipe, it’s simply to be sincere.

FM: Man, if you ever find a recipe, you gotta copyright it and retire.
PM: Dude, I’m gonna be a millionaire!

FM: So, on the subject of relating to your songs, please tell me what “Drops of Jupiter” is about!
PM: It was during a time that I lost my mom, and I had a dream that she had come back to me to tell me about her adventure. She was swimming through planets. Everything became liquid and she still had drops of Jupiter in her hair. But then it took on some other meanings of relationships too. So that was the initial inspiration, and then it turned into trying to find myself through it.

FM: Were you going for anything specific when you went in to track the new album?
PM: I don’t know if we really had anything in mind, to be honest. It started to take form after maybe five songs were recorded. We were like, “OK, now we see the kind of record we’re making.” I think people have described it as a very personal record because of the lyrical content. I think there’s a good theme, and the theme seems to be perseverance through the good and the bad.

FM: You’re getting a different kind of praise for this album. People are calling it “lived in” and “earthy” and that kind of thing. Does it feel that way to you?
PM: Yeah. I can attribute that to the musicians. I think having Johnny Colt and Brandon Bush come in with Scott Underwood and Jimmy Stafford, the combination of those four guys working together is just very musical, much more musical than we’ve ever been.

FM: What do you mean by more musical?
PM: When you’re onstage or in a studio, listening is as important as participating, and these guys really know how to listen to each other, so that when they do participate, it’s the right thing, instead of just your own thing. It’s hard to have your own style, but leave room at the same time, and these four guys really know how to do that.

FM: You went through some fairly serious personal issues between albums, as far as your divorce and the member changes. It sounds like you definitely paid the price for what ended up being a very personal album. Do you feel like it was worth going through that stuff to get these kinds of results?
PM: Well, no matter what I ever write, I’ll never be able to say what’s worth what. But I wouldn’t change a thing in my life. Not a thing. Of course, I’d like to sell 10 million records! But I have the ability to put down in words what goes through my head, and not everybody has that opportunity. People have to go to work every day and they don’t get to write it down and sing it every night. It’s a very healing process. My life is amazing right now. Having to go through the tough times, sometimes you don’t know what’s on the other end, but man, it’s worth every drop.

FM: The exchange for pouring your personal life out there is that you forfeit your private life. Does that get invasive?
PM: I think giving up my privacy is limited. I’m not the kind of artist you’ll see in US Weekly. I’m not a guy that’s soliciting paparazzi. Anything that you do know is something that I don’t care if anybody or everybody knows. It’s part of what you go through in life – being divorced, finding love. Everybody I know has gone through that. I guess I’m just the one that’s revealed it.

FM: You guys have a reputation for being a band that’s squeaky-clean, almost to a fault. When you hear things like that, how do you react?
PM: I think it’s great, because what that means is that our lives really are private. Because our lives are anything but squeaky-clean. I’d rather be known for being sober than all the years that I wasn’t sober.
We’re not The Strokes, and we’re never gonna be The Strokes, which I think is great. We’re a great band. If you need us to wear leather jackets and kick our microphone stands over, then you’ve got the wrong band.

FM: How do you guys occupy yourselves on the road without all the rock star antics you’re supposed to be doing?
PM: There are variations of rock star antics on the tour. There’s lots of after-show fun going on.

FM: And some “Halo” tournaments too?
PM: [laughs] You know, man, those guys are really into that shit too! They do like to party, and “Halo” is a part of it. I’ve seen these guys get into it, and it’s like nothing else I’ve ever seen. It’s a whole new addiction. You think eating crack is a problem – I think there’s a new crack.

FM: So now that you’ve gone through this transition and have come back out with another successful album, another successful single, do you think about the kinds of things you want to achieve from here?
PM: Yeah, I do. I think about it a lot. I want to be in a successful, productive, happy group of people, and as long as it can continue to be that way, then this is the right place for me and all the other guys, performing live for people and seeing people smile like they do. Man, I don’t know how anyone could ever get tired of that. It’s an amazing feeling if you’re putting out what it is you love to do and the response is pure joy from people.
We just began a tour that already – I can’t explain how much better it is than any other tour we’ve ever had, musically, production-wise, just the happiness as a band. If we can keep functioning as a happy, productive entity, then we’re gonna make great music.