Russ Tolman - New Quadraphonic Highway (2000)

Tolman was born August 15, 1956, and raised in Northern California. His father was a sheep rancher, and his mother was a former burlesque dancer who worked during World War II as a "Rosie the Riveter". He is the grandson of noted psychologist Edward C. Tolman, and great-nephew of Manhattan Project physicist Richard C. Tolman.

While attending school at University of California, Davis, Tolman was a DJ at the student radio station KDVS, where he met a pre-Dream Syndicate Steve Wynn and Kendra Smith, who were also disc jockeys at the station. Together in 1978 they formed Suspects, which was touted as Davis's first New Wave band. Answering a classified ad in The California Aggie was drummer Gavin Blair (who would later be lead singer in True West) and bassist Steve Suchil. Active until 1980, when Wynn and Smith returned to Southern California to attend UCLA, Suspects played many of the Northern California punk and new wave venues of the day including San Francisco's Mabuhay Gardens and The Deaf Club and UC Davis's Coffeehouse. They released a 45 RPM single, "Talking Loud" b/w "It's Up To You," in 1979.

Following the breakup of Suspects, Tolman began playing with Sean O'Brien in The Meantime, which also featured bassist Rick Gates, son of David Gates of Bread. The elder Gates produced Tolman's song "Two For One" for the band's self-released 7" EP in 1981.

From 1979 until 1983, Tolman worked as a disc jockey at progressive country station KYLO in Davis, where he developed a love for classic honky tonk, western swing, and folk under the tutelage of music director Gordy Broshear, formerly of genre pioneers KFAT.

By 1982, The Meantime had changed their name to True West and Gavin Blair had replaced Sean O'Brien as lead singer. The band went on to coalesce around Blair, Tolman, and guitarist Richard McGrath and record two well received albums, which allowed the band to tour constantly in the US and Europe from 1983 through early summer 1985, including accompanying R.E.M. as opening act on their Fables of the Reconstruction tour.

In summer 1985, True West and Tolman parted ways.