Gavin Blair

True West
True West, 1984 backstage Los Angeles
Background information
Origin	Davis, California
Genres	Paisley Underground
Years active	1981–1987 2006–present
Labels	Bring Out Your Dead, New Rose, PVC, Atavistic
Website	http://www.truewestreunion.com/
Members	Russ Tolman Gavin Blair Richard McGrath
Past members	Jozef Becker Frank French Ken Lacewell Sean O'Brien Steve Packenham Kevin Staydohar

True West are a guitar band, often considered part of the Paisley Underground. Singer Gavin Blair and guitarists Richard McGrath and Russ Tolman are the nucleus of the group.

Originally from California's Sacramento Valley, True West were contemporaries and friends with L.A. bands such as The Dream Syndicate, Green on Red, Rain Parade, Thin White Rope, and The Long Ryders. From 1979 to 1981, Gavin Blair and Russ Tolman had been bandmates in The Suspects, a Davis-based band, with a pre-Dream Syndicate Steve Wynn and Kendra Smith.

In 1981, Tolman joined a band in Davis called The Meantime, which included Sean O'Brien, Rick Gates, and Kevin Vanderhoof (now Kevin Wilkins). The Meantime released a 7" self-titled EP with three songs, one of which was produced by David Gates of the band Bread.

The Meantime changed its name to True West later in 1981, at Tolman's urging. O'Brien left True West in January 1982, and apart from Tolman, the band had changed personnel completely by the time they recorded True West's first single.

True West first gained attention for their guitar work in 1982 with a cover of the Syd Barrett/Pink Floyd song "Lucifer Sam," creating a psychedelic effect by placing the same song backwards on the B-side, titled "Mas Reficul." True West soon came to the attention of music writers in the East Coast, U.K., and Europe as part of the West Coast neo-psychedelic movement dubbed the Paisley Underground. However, the twin lead guitar interplay of McGrath and Tolman distinguished them from other Paisley groups.

Their 1983 self-released five song EP, co-produced by Russ Tolman and Steve Wynn, enabled the band to tour the U.S. non-stop, coming to the attention of Television guitarist Tom Verlaine, who took them to upstate New York's Bearsville Studios to record demos for EMI America. More attention from the music press followed with True West being singled out in the March 29, 1984 Rolling Stone magazine feature entitled "Rock & Roll Rookies: Ten Bands You'll Be Hearing From Soon."