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Stray on CD

Russ Tolman is a singer/songwriter and recording artist who has spent several

decades proving that persistence is a musical genre. A veteran of the Los Angeles

roots-rock scene and head wrangler of the Paisley Underground adjacent True West,

Tolman writes songs for people who like their melodies strong, their lyrics literate, and

their coffee consumed, not curated.

His music lives somewhere between rock, folk, and Americana-territory populated by

flawed narrators, late-night realizations, and the quiet suspicion that things didn't turn

out exactly as planned, but maybe better than expected.

Tolman's latest album, STRAY, arriving in late spring 2026, finds him leaning into that

perspective with conviction and a clear-eyed sense of purpose. The record features

Tom Heyman (Chuck Prophet, Hiss Golden Messenger, Alejandro Escovedo) on guitar

and pedal steel, adding just the right measure of ache and atmosphere. Mike

Coykendall (M. Ward, She & Him) handles drums, bonhomie, and backing vocals,

while San Francisco journeyman Rusty Miller fills out the picture on bass, piano, and

harmonies. These players along with an extra backing voice or two bring Tolman's

songs vividly to life without stepping on the furniture.