True Stories is a quirky rock band originally formed to back Wendy Bailey before being fronted by Manual Scan and Shambles frontman Bart Mendoza. In early 2013, they recorded the song “Blue Chair” for the forthcoming Elvis Costello tribute album Beyond Belief.
Their song “Hearts on Sleeve” appears on the 2-disc edition of the compilation series Powerpop Planet Volume 3, from Colorado based label Pop Geek Heaven. Released January 6, 2014, it also includes tracks from locals Neon Cough (“World of Tomorrow”), Normandie Wilson (“Nobody Loves You Like I Do”), and Scott Mathiasen & the Shifty Eyed Dogs (“Oh Misery”).
They recorded four songs with Alan Sanderson for several 2014 tribute albums: Oh Caroline (Cheap Trick), Didn't You Say? (Dwight Twilley), and Lonely Is (The DB's) for Zero Hour Records in Australia, and I Helped Patrick McGoohan Escape (the Times) for Canadian label The Beautiful Music. The latter marks David Fleminger's first lead vocal on a True Stories recording.
A new True Stories EP called Pop was released October 15, 2015, from Bickerton Records, only available in vinyl and digital formats. Early the following year, they recorded a cover of the dB's "Lonely Is (As Lonely Does)" for an Australian compilation of eighties classics.
In 2017, True Stories recorded a version of the Knack's "Your Number Or Your Name," for Australia's Zero Hour Records.
Late 2022 found frontman Mendoza announcing "Next up for True Stories is a Spanish vinyl release set for Spring 2023, a split ten-inch album of rarities with Alvino & The Dwells on the flip, called Capitulo Uno [SNAP! Records]. The True Stories side collects four of my originals, all out of print rarities and an outtake, a cover of the Db's song 'Lonely Is.' The Alvino side features five instrumental songs, including two David Fleminger originals and a surf-styled ELO cover."