 Originally from California's Sacramento Valley, True West were contemporaries and friends with Los Angeles 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).