Train Gets the Summer on Track as They Collaborate with Tenille Townes and Bryce Vine on 'I Know' (Exclusive)

"I really can't believe how pop and cool she sounds on this song as a country singer," Pat Monahan tells PEOPLE

Train frontman Pat Monahan has long loved to dip his musical toes into the country music pool, collaborating in the past with everyone from “Burning House” hitmaker Cam to Miranda Lambert's bestie Ashley Monroe. But for the single "I Know," Monahan knew he wanted someone that just sounded different.

So, he called Tenille Townes.

"I really can't believe how pop and cool she sounds on this song as a country singer," Monahan tells PEOPLE in a recent interview about the reigning CCMA Entertainer of the Year and two-time JUNO Award winner. "She really did an amazing job."

Indeed, the "Somebody's Daughter" hitmaker has a voice that certainly stands out from the rest of the impressive class of women making their way in the country music industry at the moment. And while Monahan or the members of Train never physically found themselves in the studio with Townes, the magic that their combined voices made was obvious from the start.

"Everybody just [records] either in their own little studio or at home," Monahan says with a slight huff. "Everyone goes and finds a place to throw some things in, and then we sort it out."

Related: Tenille Townes Completed 'Train Track Worktapes' Entirely on Real Train: 'My Ultimate Paradise' (Exclusive)

For this particular song, written alongside the likes of Simon Öbom, Gustav Påsen Gällhagen and Gino the Ghost while also including the additional vocals of multi-platinum rapper and "I Know" co-writer Bryce Vine, Monahan found himself recording once again in his home studio in Washington. "It's a s---ty little house with one room," he tells PEOPLE of his creative space with a laugh. "I can get a lot done there because there's no glamour to it."

Granted, Monahan says he stopped chasing the glamour in both his personal and professional life a long time ago, having instead chosen the path of anonymity whenever possible. "I've never been a famous guy," Monahan, 54, replies. "But we have famous music and that makes for a really good life."

Indeed, throughout a career that has spanned nearly 30 years, Monahan has seen the definition of celebrity change greatly, leaving him to feel no sense of yearning for that sort of life anymore.

"I think as a young person, everybody wants fame because it seems so glamorous and interesting," he says. "And then you're around really famous people, and it's such a really difficult life. It's a hassle. There was a time when it went from something I really wanted to something that I really did not want."

Related: Bryce Vine 'Grew Up on Pop Punk' and Is Now Returning to His Roots with 'Empty Bottles'

Nevertheless, Monahan says he still wants the music that he helps create to touch people and change people and maybe even make them smile when they otherwise wouldn't be doing so. So, he continues creating music such as "I Know."

“I would love to see this song do well for the writers' sake,” Monahan says of the song. which serves as the first Train single that he doesn’t serve as the main author on. "It helps in our repertoire too because it's such a fun summery song. It just seems like a really good time to put a song like this out."

Related: Train's Pat Monahan Explains How the Band's Christmas Album Became a Hallmark Movie

Certainly, the song will serve up some major good vibes in the setlist of the multi-Grammy Award-winning band this summer as they head out on tour armed with a setlist spanning over three decades, including the likes of massive hits such as "Meet Virginia," "Hey Soul Sister" and "Calling All Angels."

"It's going to be interesting to see how things evolve with 'I Know,'" says Monahan, who with Train released their critically acclaimed 11th studio album, AM Gold, last year. "I'm not sure how much radio will care. I'm not sure how many playlists it will get on. I'm not very present or, at least, popular on TikTok. I know Bryce is though."

He jokingly adds, "Maybe this will attract a new TikTok audience, and I'll start getting better at TikTok! My [14-year-old] daughter's really good at it, so I think she and I are going to do some things."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.