
Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing rock musician and San Francisco Bay Area music scene veteran ED RAWLINGS, who brings decades of material to life with his debut solo album, A FOOLISH INCONSISTENCY. With an eclectic mix of songs ranging from pop, to blues, and even a little surf and Americana, A FOOLISH INCONSISTENCY is decades in the making.
I wanted to interview Ed, because as a former Bay Area resident who frequently misses the community San Francisco provided, I’m incredibly impressed and inspired by the way Ed has made himself a household name there. It started in the eighties as lead guitarist for local punk and new wave legends Hostages and Die Bossa Nova. In his three decades as a touring musician, Rawlings has played at notable clubs such as Mabuhay Gardens, Sound of Music, The Palms, The Stone, Berkeley Square, and more. I’ve even heard rumors of infamous South-of-Market loft parties—I only wish I’d been there for that!
So today I wanted to talk to Ed about longevity in the music industry. About reinventing yourself while staying true to your craft and most of all, having fun with it. I hope you enjoy!
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Hi Ed, thanks so much for taking the time to chat with me! You’ve been part of the Bay Area music scene for decades, playing with iconic bands like Hostages and Die Bossa Nova. What advice do you have for indie bands looking to build a lasting career in music, especially when everything feels so fleeting?
My best advice is just to stay busy with music – pick up the guitar, or whatever, write a song, make some home recordings. Keep listening to the music being made around you and around the world. Go to shows, support the artists. At some point you have to devote a lot of energy to just making a living – day jobs and such. And that can make it harder, but not impossible. Just keep making music whenever or however you can.
After years in the industry, what reignited your passion to create new music and release a solo album? How can artists keep their creativity alive over the long haul?
I had a backlog of instrumental music going back some 40 years. I did not want my musical career to end without putting out what I think is my best stuff. After a long sojourn in the tech industry, I finally ditched that and decided to focus on the music. But during that time, I also managed to record two albums with the instrumental band Lost Lake, play gigs with them and back up Ray Vaughn on his two albums and club gigs. I guess it’s just dogged persistence. I tried to keep the music in my heart and fingers and not give up.
How was the transition from playing in a band to creating a solo album? What are the challenges and benefits of going solo for an artist who’s used to collaborating within a band setting?
This was a bigger challenge than I anticipated. I definitely missed the instant feedback of having the band in the same room when developing new material, with everyone contributing their parts. Being a solo artist totally changes that flow.
Before I started to work with producer Michael Rosen, I created home demos of all my songs, with me playing all the instruments, including programming drum parts and playing some bass guitar. I’m not very good at those last two things, so it was great to get to work with a producer and professional musicians to flesh out the songs. I would say also that I enjoyed the challenge and opportunity of arranging and orchestrating the music how I envisioned it.
As a solo artist, I also have to do all the business stuff: promotion, social media, graphics, website, video and more – some of which was new to me and had a high learning curve. All that took much more time and energy than I anticipated. In a band you can split up those tasks.
One thing I think is so interesting about this album is that the focus is on the instrumentals, which is so beautifully done but can of course be a challenge. Why did you choose this direction, and how do you think instrumental music can still capture and engage audiences today?
I’ve always loved instrumental rock music. It’s hard to say why, but it just resonates with my love of rock and roll. Years ago, I realized that I was often totally ignoring the singer and lyrics and focused on what the band was playing behind the singers. I love concise, memorable rock and roll riffs (think Keith Richards) and those translate nicely into instrumental music.
It can be challenging making instrumental music interesting and compelling. You are telling an abstract story, not a real-world story told through the lyrics. How the music is arranged and performed can really make a big difference in how people experience it. In my previous instrumental band, Lost Lake, we called this the “second verse, same as the first” problem. I found it to be an interesting challenge.

Speaking a bit more on that, what can artists learn from this in terms of creating music that feels authentic to who they are vs catering to what’s trending?
I think being authentic is the only way to go, at least for the music I like to make and listen to. I think a lot of fans agree, and appreciate artists who are being themselves, trying to do something unique, and putting their music out without regard to current trends. Rock and roll would never have blossomed as it has if that weren’t true. Fakers and copycats are usually obvious and quickly bore true music fans.
You mentioned that this album was sparked by rediscovered demos. I LOVE this story. Can you tell readers briefly about that?
Over the years I have accumulated a lot of music in various forms. Whenever I get a new musical idea, I try to record it anyway I can ASAP – before I forget it. The format has changed over the years: reel-to-reel tapes, cassettes, multitrack cassettes, and computers. In recent years, I just grabbed my phone and opened the recording app.
All those tapes ended up in boxes that I hauled around from apartment to apartment over the years. When I found the reel-to-reel tapes and played them back they started to flake off and gum up my tape deck (a common problem with old tape). But I managed to copy them to the computer before they self-destructed (I was just learning about computers and audio then). Some of the songs were pretty lame, but some were a pleasant surprise, and ended up on the new album.
Touching on that a little more, how important is it for artists to revisit past ideas, and what can they learn from their earlier work?
Listening to those old tapes, I found that it was a revelation to see how my music had changed over the years and to also see that there were some common threads. Music, like life, is an accumulation of experiences. A lifetime of listening and playing piles up in your brain and informs what you do – often unconsciously. So it’s important, I think, to pay attention to both your past, and your vision for making new music.
The music industry has evolved dramatically since your early days with Hostages and Die Bossa Nova. How have you adapted to these changes, and what can indie bands learn about adaptability in today’s music industry?
In those early days, there was a very indy and DIY mindset for making music and other art forms too. Even back then, many bands self-produced their records, rather than waiting for a label to pick them up. A lot of that remains, and the options for home digital recording and distribution enables musicians to more easily access their audiences. The downside of that, of course, is that the economics of the streaming world are pretty dismal for independent artists – or even established artists, which makes it difficult to sustain over time. But in the end, I think the easy access is a plus for getting lots of new stuff out into the world.
Another thing I really admire is that you’re such a long-time staple of the San Francisco music community. One of the things I loved so much when I lived in the Bay Area was that community. How important is it for indie musicians to engage with their local music communities, and what tips do you have for building a strong local following?
The musical community of the late seventies and early eighties in San Francisco was awesome. We usually had 4 or 5 gigs a month back then, and I was always going out to see bands at the clubs. So did other musicians, who I often connected with when going to the clubs. It was all about community. Some of that energy still exists, but on a much smaller scale. Having been away from it all for a while, I’m looking forward to getting back into the local music scene.
Thank you for speaking with me and sharing so much! Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks for this opportunity to share my thoughts. I’m really excited about my new album, A Foolish Inconsistency, and hope your readers will check it out.
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