The Fossils emerged from the San Francisco psychedelic scene, but stood apart from their peers through the haunting, crystalline vocals of frontwoman Diane Ashworth and their embrace of oceanic imagery over the typical cosmic themes of the era. While other bands were reaching for the stars, The Fossils dove deep into subterranean and aquatic soundscapes, creating what critics would later call “marine folk-rock” or “geological psych.” The band’s lineup consisted of: Diane Ashworth (vocals, tambourine) Marcus Webb (lead guitar, backing vocals) Peter “Sandman” Kowalski (bass) Ray Tillerson (drums, percussion) Carolyn Vetch (organ, piano) Backstory The Fossils formed when Diane Ashworth, a marine biology dropout from UC Santa Cruz, met guitarist Marcus Webb at a poetry reading in North Beach.
Diane had been performing as a solo folk artist in coffee houses, her songs filled with imagery from her time studying tide pools and diving along the Monterey coast. Marcus, recently returned from a transformative trip through the Southwest’s desert canyons, was immediately struck by how her aquatic metaphors mirrored his own fascination with geological time and ancient stone. They recruited the other members through the communal living scene—Carolyn had been playing organ for a gospel church by day and underground psych shows by night, while the rhythm section of Kowalski and Tillerson had backed various acts on the Fillmore circuit. Their self-titled debut album was recorded over six January nights in 1969 at a small studio in Sausalito, with the band insisting on keeping the studio windows open to hear the San Francisco Bay lapping against the docks. The recording was nearly derailed when their original producer dismissed Diane’s lyrics as “too cerebral” and “unmarketable,” but they convinced the studio owner to let them self-produce after hours. See for more.
Made of Stone
Lost in the Tide
Shells of Thought
Bottom of the Sea
Stay
Black Water Roots
Cinder Eyes
Hold on
Along for the Ride
The Fossils 1969