Who are The Earwigs? How this obscure OC rock band’s ‘lost’ vinyl became a $500 collectors item

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If someone had informed Michael Ubaldini that his old band’s vintage records from four decades ago were being sold for hundreds of dollars apiece, he likely wouldn’t have thought it possible. Few seemed inclined to share this information with him, especially not the younger fans of his ’80s power pop group, the Earwigs, who attended his current concerts as a solo artist and paid $20 each for a copy of “She’s So Naive” on 45s. To Ubaldini, aged 61, it seemed he was striking a favorable deal.

At one concert, a group of children approached me and inquired if I had any of Earwigs’ original 45s, unaware at the time that these records would become valuable collector’s items. Being an Orange County-based musician who frequently performs in OC and Nashville, TN, I replied casually, “Yeah, I’ve got a few of those.” They asked to buy them, so I sold the pair for $20 each, thinking I had made a fantastic deal. However, it seemed they felt remorseful about the price they paid, as they were willing to give me additional records on top of what they already paid me.

Shortly following the questionable garage sale, Ubaldini discovered that old 45 records, enclosed in makeshift cardboard boxes with a band photo on the front (often referred to as “alt sleeves” compared to the original band logo cover), were being sold for more than $300 on platforms such as Discogs.

Following the dissipation of his initial surprise, Ubaldini decided to market the records on his own. “I had a few left over, so I listed one for sale online,” he explained. “The starting bid is $100, or you can purchase it immediately for $350.” Upon going for breakfast, he returned to find that someone had already bought it.

On Discogs, the most expensive sale price for a hard-to-find vinyl record featuring the popular tunes “She’s So Naive” and “Here Come the Earwigs” was approximately $500.

This latest revelation, coupled with Ubaldini’s long-held ambition to provide his former band, The Earwigs, with an official album release, has ignited a modern resurgence of their largely overlooked history. On Saturday, The Earwigs – featuring Ubaldini as lead vocalist, original drummer Dave Reed, guitarist Oscar Munoz, and bassist Jerry Adamowicz – will hold a long-postponed album release event at The Mamba Sports Bar & Grill in Huntington Beach. This celebration centers around “The Earwigs-Orange County 1981: The Lost Debut Album,” a limited edition vinyl pressing of their previously unheard material. In just five days, the initial two pressings were completely sold out via pre-order. Each run of 100 copies comes in a distinct color and is now available in record stores across their origin in OC, as well as London and Japan.

Back in 1978, our band, which was once well-known, began its journey. We performed at the renowned Cuckoo’s Nest in Costa Mesa, sharing the stage with iconic punk bands from the early OC scene such as The Adolescents, T.S.O.L., Agent Orange, and Social Distortion. Ubaldini noted that while we were part of that movement, we weren’t strictly a punk band. Instead, our sound had a touch of mod influence combined with the dynamism of Buzzcocks and Ramones.

Despite not quite aligning with the bands often recognized as pioneers of Orange County punk, a unique style emerged that fused the slick pompadours of Hamburg-era Beatles with fast-paced pop songs about teenage romance and suburban discontent. For a short while, this blend left its mark on the regional music history.

So how did the Earwigs gain this unlikely cult following unbeknownst to its founding member?

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Ubaldini believes the band gained popularity in the early ’80s when radio personalities such as KROQ’s Rodney Bingenheimer and KNAC’s Sue Mink frequently played their music on their shows. Fans would record these songs from the airwaves onto cassettes, which they shared among themselves, even before the band had a record to sell. The tracks became highly desired by fans of power pop, garage rock, and fast-paced rockabilly. This underground success was fueled by the infectiously catchy and energetic single “She’s So Naive.

Despite receiving radio play, the album recorded by the band in 1981 never made it to stores due to the demise of Rock-A-Mod Records, the label they were working with at that time, prior to its release.

By 1982, the original members of the band had disbanded due to growing up and pursuing separate paths. However, they reunited for a short while with a modified lineup until 1984, marking their permanent discontinuation without any further music releases. Ubaldini shifted his focus to roots rock and honky-tonk music in Orange County, eventually forming Mystery Train, which secured a record deal but existed for only one album. For many years, Mike Boehm, a renowned entertainment reporter for the Los Angeles Times, consistently praised Ubaldini as an exceptional frontman and songwriter.

Ubaldini, a man tall and slender, with a dark, rugged charm reminiscent of denim and leather, embodies the timeless image of a rebellious rock ‘n’ roll icon in the O.C. scene, as described by Boehm. The album ‘Mystery Train’ is crafted on traditional foundations, brimming with powerful guitar riffs that echo The Rolling Stones and Creedence Clearwater Revival, along with rockabilly melodies. This record primarily explores the age-old theme of unrestrained, joyous, and enthusiastic sexual desire that is a staple in rock ‘n’ roll.”

Ubaldini’s local fame gradually grew but never quite reached its full potential over the years.

During that period, I was often performing with different bands or my personal projects. Occasionally, someone in the audience would call out to me, ‘Play some Earwigs!’ These requests always made me laugh. However, I never performed those songs because I had written so many new ones since then,” he recalls.

Over time, Ubaldini mentions receiving proposals from several independent record labels who wished to release some of the Earwigs’ classic singles. The majority of these deals, however, were not advantageous, offering minimal earnings for the tracks Ubaldini composed during his teenage years.

He stated that he wouldn’t gain anything from the small labels [he was referring to]. “Perhaps I’d release it someday,” he continued, “but I won’t do so because I don’t want to be taken advantage of again. After all I’ve been through in music, I can’t afford to get ripped off once more.

This year, Ubaldini, spurred by renewed enthusiasm for his work, decided it was high time to remaster an old 17-track album that he hadn’t released before. Instead of going through a label, he chose to press the record independently. Just in time for their final reunion show celebrating their unforeseen cult following, a fresh batch has arrived. The lead singer is thrilled to offer these copies to dedicated local fans who played a vital role in keeping his music alive.

Ubaldini expressed that he’s eager to share “Earwigs,” as it’s significant and resonates with the youth, stating, “It’s a piece of that time they yearn for.” Regarding the lasting appeal of the music despite bands like Jet, The Strokes, and The Strypes fading, he believes it’s due to the timeless, straightforward style. In his words, “Our songs haven’t aged poorly since we avoided synths and stuck with rock-n-roll.

Ubaldini ponders whether the enigma surrounding his band, which never achieved mainstream success, fueled people’s enduring curiosity about his past tunes. “For years, our tracks were illegally recorded and distributed as bootlegs,” he mused, “and it seems like that underworld existence gave our music a strange, independent life. It’s almost hard to believe when I stop to think about it.” He added, “There wasn’t any official promotion or publicity whatsoever. The entire phenomenon was purely a product of the underground music scene.

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2025-09-06 19:31