The neo-bossanova indie pop trio
True Love Always formed in late 1995 when, following the demise of Charlottesville, VA, band Operation Love, vocalist/guitarist John Lindaman and drummer Matt Datesman opted to reunite in a more intimate musical setting. After recruiting bassist Tobin Rodriguez, the host of the local radio program Love Songs,
True Love Always began performing on the area club circuit, eventually recording a two-song demo. While opening for
Versus in March 1996, the trio came to the attention of Teenbeat label honcho Mark Robinson, a former high school classmate of Lindaman's who offered to reissue the demo as a single, resulting in 1996's Mediterranean 7".
When Will You Be Mine?,
True Love Always' full-length debut, followed in 1997, and a number of 7" singles on Teenbeat followed throughout the late '90s along with 1998's Hopefully LP and 2000's Torch LP. In 2001, Teenbeat raided its vaults and released Spring Collection, a compilation of singles and other
True Love Always gems. ~ Jason Ankeny