Pat Monahan of Train

Pat Monahan of Train sits down with Jim to discuss the band’s new Christmas single “Shake Up Christmas” and their holiday album “Christmas in Tahoe.”

Jim Brickman: Talking with Pat Monahan from Train on the Jim Brickman show cause you know, it is Christmastime, and you guys, it’s so cool. Last year when you came up with that amazing Christmas song, I…I loved it. And this year, again, you’re celebrating Christmas with new music.

Pat Monahan: There’s just something about Christmas music and reminiscing about back in the days of listening to Nat Cole…eventually you have to make a Christmas record I think.

JB: A lot of rock groups, and people who are known as pop/rock stars like you, Pat, people don’t realize how influenced you guys all are from classics, like Nat King Cole, like Frank Sinatra, like these songs from the 40s and 50s, great songs of our time. And I think it’s a little-known secret.

PM: I mean, you know, you can hear it when you listen to Bruno Mars. Like, that guy is influenced by a lot more than you know, hip-hop or pop music. He’s deep in it. We’re all influenced by whatever’s really excellent. It’s the iPod generation of “you should just like what’s good, not necessarily something that’s in a certain genre.”

JB: I absolutely love this new record.

PM: Oh thanks, you know, “Shake Up Christmas” is fun. When I wrote that song years ago, Coke used it for a commercial. So we kinda had to revamp it so it didn’t sound like a commercial anymore. I love this new version of it, it’s more organic and authentic.

Click here to get Train's new deluxe Christmas album!