San Francisco’s favorite symphonic pop septet, The Family Crest, is about to enter the dark hibernation cave known as the record-making process. Before they do, however, they have one last local show to play, at the Independent on October 22 and we have a pair of tickets to give away.
Vocalist-guitarist Liam McCormick reports that his band — bassist John Seeterlin, drummer Charlie Giesige, vocalist-multi-instrumentalist Laura Bergmann, trombonist George Mousa Samaan, cellist Charly Akert and violinist Owen Sutter — has a big project in the works.
“We really want to get some new music out to the world and to our fans who have been so patient,” he said in an email. “This one’s going to be epic.”
McCormick has been working on the new album for several years, and described it as continuing The Family Crest’s nature of heavy orchestration, while blending it with genres like jazz, pop, rock and even electronic music. The band plans to play a few of the new in-progress songs at the Independent.
“You’ll be seeing a few different twists and turns, genre-wise, on this record,” he said. “Some stripped-down stuff as well. I really like giving our fans something new and something familiar with every record.”
Staying true to their roots, the band will once again incorporate their “extended family” in the recording process. So far, nearly 100 musicians have already been recorded. Once again, the band will rely less on a professional recording studio and more on public spaces like churches and malls, people’s living rooms and elsewhere.
“One of the big differences on this record is going to be the soundscape created by all the different styles of players,” McCormick said. “Everyone really feeds off of everyone else’s energy in the core band and that really helps in making a solid record and a solid sound.”
To enter for a chance to win tickets to see The Family Crest at the Independent, email contest@thebaybridged.com with “The Family Crest” in the subject line and your full name in the body of the email. A winner will be selected at random and notified via email.
Follow writer Roman Gokhman at Twitter.com/RomiTheWriter and RomiTheWriter.Tumblr.com.
The Family Crest, Andrew St. James
The Independent
October 22, 2015
8pm, $19-21
