Eddie Rawlings has been playing in the San Francisco Bay Area music scene for over forty years. In the eighties and nineties, Eddie played with several local bands: the Hostages, Die Bossa Nova, and Lost Lake. While playing guitar and writing songs in these bands, Eddie also composed and recorded many rough versions of instrumental songs, and also found some surprising gems on old reel-to-reel tapes - from the late seventies. There were also more recent songs scattered about on cassettes and computer recordings -- waiting for their time to come to life. 

Then that damn pandemic happened. A lot of time to spend at home - In the headphones, at the computer. Checking out those old recordings. Reviving old songs. Discarding some. Writing new songs. Recording demo versions to flesh them out. Hoping the songs could be brought to life someday -- in a proper recording studio with good musicians ... when times get better. 

Thankfully, most of us survived. The songs are now newly recorded, and will be available for the first time on Eddie’s upcoming solo album, A Foolish Inconsistency.  


Starting in the early eighties, Eddie was lead guitarist for the San Francisco punk/new wave band Hostages. The Hostages played often at the notable clubs of the day: Mabuhay Gardens, Sound of Music, The Palms, The On Broadway, The Stud, and The IBeam -- in addition to their infamous South-of-Market loft parties at The Hostages San Francisco home base, The Crab Palace. The Hostages released one single, “Inside Houses” in 1983.

Eddie, and Hostages lead singer, Ray Vaughn, went on to form the band Die Bossa Nova in 1985 with a new set of songs. The band continued to play in the San Francisco new wave scene at clubs such the DNA Lounge, Club 9, and the 181 Club. They also made several appearances at the annual San Francisco Folsom Street Fair. 

After a break of several years, Eddie joined the instrumental band Lost Lake, playing original music along with popular surf and instrumental music covers in San Francisco and East Bay clubs. Eddie’s love for instrumental music was now starting to see the light of day. In 1999, Lost Lake released a CD, Without a Paddle featuring all-original instrumental rock songs written by the band and produced by Michael Rosen. Lost Lake followed up with the CD Return to Whatever in 2012, a set of live instrumental improvisation tracks and vocal covers of popular rock songs (mixed and edited by Eddie).

Reuniting with singer/songwriter Ray Vaughn in 2013, Eddie backed up Ray’s new solo adventure, playing guitar on his two CDs Way Down Low and Wounded Bird and performing with Ray in San Francisco clubs. 

Eddie is now introducing this new set of original songs (and one cover) on his new album A Foolish Inconsistency. The album was produced by Bay Area veteran producer/engineer Michael Rosen at East Bay Recorders in Oakland. Eddie is backed by bassist Uriah Duffy, drummer Jeff Campitelli, both veterans of instrumental rock music, and keyboardist Nick O’Connor. The musical moods of the album range from dark and melancholy to lazy afternoon music, some joyful romps, a few pop-ish tunes, and even a short detour into the blues. The songs are finally alive!

A Foolish Inconsistency will be available soon on CD and music streaming services.

Ed Rawlings