Westbound Train to tour in support of new effort

The best of soul, reggae and ska meld seamlessly on Boston based soul/ska septet Westbound Train's thrilling new sophomore album, Come and Get It, out on Hellcat Records April 21.
Recorded over the span of two weeks in Brooklyn, NY with producer and Slackers saxophonist Dave Hillyard, Come and Get It features 14 brand new original songs and a reworked version of an old fan favorite that capture a classic, old-school vibe that reggae, ska and soul music fans alike will instantly fall in love with!

"This is probably the best time I've ever had making a record with Westbound Train," said lead vocalist and trombonist Obi Fernandez. "Unlike "Transitions" we were able to write this record at home in Boston at our rehearsal space, and we had some pre-production rehearsals with Dave Hillyard of the Slackers that were a lot of fun. Dave had really cool ideas and brought a new approach to musicality to the table."

Shattering musical boundaries while embracing the best of several genres, the septet has fully come into their own with Come and Get It, their second Hellcat release. The new album invites listeners on a journey, traveling through all of the band's previous influences while creating an exciting new sound that they are eager to reveal to the world in 2009.

Compared to the band's three previous albums, Come and Get It is the best representation of Westbound Train to be captured on record thus far. Two stand-out tracks include "So Many Things a Man Can Say," an old-school ballad that captures Fernandez's love of the Motown sound, and the highly orchestrated second track, "Ain't Gonna Be Easy," written about Fernandez's father.

"In addition to the song being about my father, a lot of stuff was going on that was making life a little more complicated," Fernandez says.

After a relaxed yet amazing year in 2008, where the band shared the stage with the likes of Rancid, Less Than Jake, Goldfinger, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Beat Union and Bedouin Soundclash, Westbound Train is preparing to hit the road in 2009 for what is shaping up to be their biggest year yet.

Not only will the band be playing two shows at the Middle East in their hometown of Boston, MA on April 24th and 25th, but Westbound Train is also excited to announce that they will be performing on the Hurley.com stage at the 2009 Vans Warped Tour! Be sure to check out the band that was Kevin Lyman's first official choice for a spot on this year's tour.

Besides the Vans Warped Tour and the CD release dates, Westbound has some other exciting shows coming up. On February 22nd, the band will be playing at the Highline Ballroom in NYC with their good friends, The Toasters, among many others. On March 6, they are playing with State Radio at the Dwight Auditorium at Farmingham State College. And last but not least, the band has been invited to perform at South by Southwest, in Austin, TX, on March 18-21st. Stay tuned for exact date and set times!

Come And Get It Tracklisting:
1. You Don't Belong Here
2. Ain't Gonna Be Easy
3. Check Your Time
4. Why You Cry
5. Come And Get It
6. Some Things Are Meant To Be Remembered
7. Salvation
8. If Only
9. What You Need
10. The Passage
11. Lift My Voice Up Loud
12. For The Record
13. Many Things A Man Can Say
14. Critical Ska
15. Cheers! The World's Almost Over

UPCOMING SHOWS:
February 22nd - New York, NY -Highline Ballroom W/ The Toasters
March 6th - Framingham, MA -Dwight Auditorium W/ State Radio
March 18th -22nd Austin, TX - SXSW Music Festival
March 27th - Fairfax, VA- Fat Tuesdays

"COME AND GET IT" CD RELEASE TOUR:
April 24th - Boston, MA - Middle East
April 25th - Boston, MA - Middle East
April 30th - Washington, D.C. - DC9
May 1st - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live
May 2nd - New York, NY - Knitting Factory
May 7th - Chicago, IL - Reggie's Rock Club
May 8th - Minneapolis, MN - Triple Rock Social Club
May 9th - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews