Train Singer Pat Monahan Talks New Album 'Bulletproof Picasso' And Playing 'The Bad Guy'

Apparently, Train singer Pat Monahan really struggled through the writing process of their latest album, Bulletproof Picasso.

"I rewrote choruses 30 times," he told Radio.com. "It was just brutal. I always felt like all these songs were close, but not there. That's something really hard for someone like me. I would rather just start over."

Monahan said he'd never been through anything like it.

"Revision is important for any author," he said. "What I do, it's kind of been if it's not good enough, write something else. But I think there were so many moments that were good enough, but weren't complete thoughts or complete songs. I didn't have to rewrite the entire songs, it was a chorus, or a verse or it needed a bridge or the chords weren't right so we had to sort that out. That was really difficult because I would go rewrite it and that wasn't good enough either. Even though my heart knew it wasn't good enough, I wanted it to be good enough. That's tough sometimes when you play that trick on yourself."

But he eventually worked out the kinks, thanks to some help from country songwriters Tom Douglas and Matraca Berg.

"When I go to Nashville it is different than anywhere else, and it's probably because those people are legends," he said. They've written hundreds of incredible songs. "The House That Built Me." Those are songs that last hundreds of years. Working with people that write those country songs, it's a crazy privilege to be in a room with them. It brings something out in me that's higher quality as well. They make everybody bring their A-game."

The conversation also delved into Train's newest single, "Angel in Blue Jeans." In the video, Monahan finally got to play the villain.

"I love being a bad guy," he said. " [Bandmate] Danny Trejo got to be the good guy, which I think was strange for both of us because I'm always the good guy in these videos and he's always the bad guy in everything. It was really fun."

Read the full interview here.

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