Stray [CD]

Russ Tolman is a singer/songwriter and recording artist who has spent severaldecades proving that persistence is a musical genre. A veteran of the Los Angelesroots-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, andtheir coffee consumed, not curated.His music lives somewhere between rock, folk, and Americana-territory populated byflawed narrators, late-night realizations, and the quiet suspicion that things didn't turnout exactly as planned, but maybe better than expected.Tolman's latest album, STRAY, arriving in late spring 2026, finds him leaning into thatperspective with conviction and a clear-eyed sense of purpose. The record featuresTom Heyman (Chuck Prophet, Hiss Golden Messenger, Alejandro Escovedo) on guitarand pedal steel, adding just the right measure of ache and atmosphere. MikeCoykendall (M. Ward, She & Him) handles drums, bonhomie, and backing vocals,while San Francisco journeyman Rusty Miller fills out the picture on bass, piano, andharmonies. These players along with an extra backing voice or two bring Tolman'ssongs vividly to life without stepping on the furniture.