Sure, the perks are first-class. Grammy Award-winning rock band Train started as DIY artists, touring to support their 1998 self-titled debut in a rundown Dodge Ram minivan. Along the way, they signed with Columbia, had a few smash hits including "Drops of Jupiter" and "Calling All Angels," and wound up on the soundtracks to Party of Five, Grey’s Anatomy, and SpiderMan 2.

Now Train is supporting their latest release For Me, It’s You in grand style. They left the minivan in a small town in Nebraska back in 1999. They now travel in two (and sometimes three) tour buses with movie lounges, Xbox centers, and plenty of room for the band’s family members (including several children). Still, Guitarist Jimmy Stafford feels a little uneasy. In the twelve years since the group first formed in San Francisco, the game has changed.

"Don’t get me wrong – this is our best tour ever," Stafford hastens to explain. "But I’m not sure a lot of our fans even know we have a new album out. The record company hasn’t done a lot to promote it. It’s a tough business these days. Industry folks are afraid to commit to a new album if it’s not a huge smash right away. The pressure to have a hit is intense. Record company execs don’t want to lose their jobs, and radio stations only want to play the big hits."

The irony in this lack of recent exposure is that the band is prouder of the new album than any of their past projects. Despite the passionate, full-throttle rock sound Train is famous for, the vibe is more intimate, dealing with more personal matters like losing a special friend, watching the kids grow up, and of course, falling in love.

"We recorded For Me, It’s You in Atlanta in just seven weeks," Stafford says, "but it didn’t feel rushed. The vibe in the studio was great. I think the best things this band has ever done have begun organically and happened quickly. Everyone was feeling great in the studio, going with the flow, and seven weeks later, we had an album."

While the new album moves away from the more acoustic sound of the first two major-label albums Drops of Jupiter (2001) and My Private Nation (2003), Stafford quickly points out that the band hasn’t forgotten their roots. The new shows feature, for the first time, an acoustic segment with no planned set list. The band just plays whatever songs feel right, feeding off the energy from the audience. "Quite frankly, I’m surprised we haven’t done something like this before," he says. "It’s how we started. It adds a more intimate segment to the show."

The proof is in the balance sheet. So far, this is Train’s biggest-grossing tour. They’re playing the biggest venues they’ve ever played, bringing a bigger show to their fans, selling more merchandise then on previous tours. Such success is comfort to Stafford and the rest of the band when dealing with the label's hesitant decisions concerning their career. Train is still trying to shake off the lack of exposure for the video they just completed for the single "Give Myself to You." While their past videos have been more sweeping and dramatic (especially "Calling All Angels," with its images of nature being reborn), Stafford says the new video presents a more humorous side to the band.

"It was shot like an infomercial," he explains. "I think it’s our best video – definitely my favorite. It’s funny and clever. But the song never took off on radio, so I’m not sure if the video will get much airplay."

It’s an unfortunate trend he’s seeing in the industry, but as always, he looks for the blessings. "We’re a fortunate band. We got signed before record companies started getting gun-shy. There was more of a focus on artist development. They really took the time with us. We were a success story. They did it again with John Meyer, and it worked again. It’s not like that anymore."

For now, Stafford relishes the enthusiasm that greets the band at every performance. It reminds him of why he became a musician in the first place. "I grew up listening to Led Zeppelin, Elvis, Michael Jackson – folks who can move a room. The music is passionate. I want to affect people. I want to move people in the very back row. One of our best shows recently was an outdoors festival in Little Rock. About 30,000 people. We played really well, and every time the lights went up, as far back as I could see, the people in the back were feeling it just as much as the people in the front. That’s why we do this. That’s what gets us on stage every night."

Hopefully, that’s also what will bring the industry around. In the meantime, Train will keep bringing the soulful intensity that has brought them multi-plantinum status and legions of loyal fans with their own word-of-mouth publicity machine.

Copyright 2006 by Jennifer Layton