Train will support their new album, My Private Nation, with a whistle-stop club and theater tour beginning June 26th in their hometown of San Francisco.

"One of the things we didn't do for the previous album was a headline tour," says frontman Pat Monahan. "The way we're thinking is, 'Let's start where we left off and then see where it takes us.'"

Due out June 3rd, the follow-up to the band's breakthrough, Drops of Jupiter, was recorded in Atlanta with producer Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen), who co-wrote several songs on the album, including the title track.

"It's not really a flag-waving title," Monahan says. "It's more representative of being your own island, but people are invited. I started thinking, 'Where do I fit in here? Where does my generation fit in? Where does this band fit in?' What I decided was that I am my own private nation, and this band is its own private nation."

My Private Nation is Train's first album without guitarist Rob Hotchkiss -- a founding member of Train -- who departed during the recording process. "Rob realized that we were going to be on the road quite a bit, traveling again to Atlanta to record, then of course the inevitable touring," Monahan says. "He wanted to move on from that. I really respect and appreciate his decision, because I think he left in a generous way."

Train tour dates:

6/26: San Francisco, Warfield
6/28: Los Angeles, Wiltern
7/1: San Diego, 4th & B
7/2: Phoenix, Marquee Theater
7/3: Las Vegas, Joint
7/5: Denver, Fillmore
7/6: Kansas City, MO, Beaumont
7/8: St Louis, Pageant
7/10-11: Chicago, Skyline Pavilion
7/12: Minneapolis, Basilica
7/14: Cincinnati, Bogarts
7/15: Indianapolis, Egyptian Room
7/16: Columbus, OH, Newport
7/17: Detroit, Clutch Cargos
7/19: Cleveland, Agora
7/20: Toronto, Guvernment
7/22: New York, Hammerstein
7/23: Philadelphia, Electric Factory
7/25: Boston, Avalon
7/26: Providence, RI, Lupos
7/27: Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
7/29: Norfolk, VA, Norva
7/30: Myrtle Beach, SC, House of Blues
7/31: Atlanta, Tabernacle
8/2: Orlando, FL, House of Blues
8/3: Pompano Beach, FL, Amphitheater
8/5: Birmingham, AL, Sloss Furnaces
8/6: Nashville, TN, Ryman
8/8: Houston, Verizon
8/9: Austin, TX, Stubbs
8/10: Dallas, Granda Theater

COLIN DEVENISH
(May 23, 2003)