Out of the same mold as L.A.'s Paisley Underground bands,
True West didn't fit because they were from Davis, CA (operating out of the nearby nexus for guitar bands, San Francisco) and a little darker and less dreamy than the others. They debuted with True West, an EP in 1983 on Bring Out Your Dead Records. It was produced by the band's
Russ Tolman and
the Dream Syndicate's Steve Wynn. Hollywood Holiday, released by France's then-very hip New Rose label that same year, contained the debut EP as well as some new tracks. By 1984, the band signed a deal with U.S. indie label PVC for Drifters. Drummer Josef Becker left to join the similar, though darker California-centric roots band
Thin White Rope, and after recording, so too did
Tolman. 1986's Hand of Fate for CD Presents features guitar work by
the Rain Parade's Matt Piucci and
Green on Red's Chuck Prophet in place of
Tolman. Shortly after, the band called it quits. West Side Story (Skyclad, 1989) is an odds-and-sods collection, Best Western (Skyclad, 1990) a compilation of of old demos, and TV Western (Skyclad, 1990) adds some live tracks to the demo sessions. Singer
Gavin Blair and guitarist
Richard McGrath worked as Fool Killers after the breakup, and
Tolman is a prolific singer/songwriter. Becker went on to play with
Game Theory. The group's bassist was Kevin Staydohar. ~ Denise Sullivan