[3] Pollard went to high school and participated in early bands with future Trampled By Turtles bass player Tim Saxhaug.

RGC, which had begun as a collaboration between Low guitarist and songwriter Alan Sparhawk and Red House Painters and Sun Kil Moon founder Mark Kozelek (who left early in the band's history) was signed to Sub Pop.

[9] While in Nashville Pollard returned to his roots as an instrumental sideman, touring and recording with the likes of Nikki Lane[10] and JP Harris.

[1] Shortly afterward, Actual Wolf relocated to Oakland, California, to pursue work in the burgeoning legal medical marijuana industry while still continuing his songwriting/musical career.

It was there that he began to assemble a regular full-time touring band, eventually recruiting Bay Area lead guitarist Misisipi Mike Wolf, pedal steel player Ian Taylor Sutton,[11] keyboardist Kirby Hammel (formerly a touring member of Sun Kil Moon), drummer Andrew Griffin (Cake, Camper Van Beethoven)[12][13] and bassist Ted O'Connell.