Born in Nashville and reshaped in Portland, Family Worship Center operates less like a traditional band and more like a traveling rock-and-soul commune. Their sound—groove-heavy, piano-pounded, and drenched in communal harmonies—pulls from dog-eared spiritual ephemera and strange, cult-adjacent texts uncovered during a cross-country field-recording odyssey. The result is a secular gospel of sorts, rooted in ’70s swagger and shot through with the kind of loose, lived-in chemistry that only comes from collective belief in the groove.
Following their 2023 full-length Kicked Out of the Garden—which spent months on the NACC 200 and earned a spotlight on Live Wire Radio—Family Worship Center has kept the momentum rolling with steady national touring and sessions for a forthcoming record. They’ve also stepped into the role of backing band for cult pop visionary Donnie Emerson, further cementing their reputation as torchbearers of soulful revivalism. Known for ecstatic live sets powered by horns, harmonies, and revival-tent piano, the group has drawn high praise from KEXP, which dubbed them “truly the best live band I have seen in years.”
Today, Glide is excited to offer an exclusive premiere of their latest single, “Malibu by Midnight,” (PRE-ORDER) along with its accompanying music video. With a feel that is less like a new release and more like a rediscovered relic, the song begins with an atmospheric synth that feels straight out of some 70s b-pic before the band jumps in with a heavy dose of disco-soul laid with spicy guitar playing. The triple vocal harmonies lead this song as the band locks into a sound that is warm and unhurried, glowing with West Coast AM Gold sheen. Part yacht rock and part Laurel Canyon-at-last-call haze, the song does a fine job of capturing the band’s evolution from old guard rockers to a band set on bringing people to the dance floor. The video also complements the communal spirit and joyous experience of the band’s performances.
Frontman and visionary Andy Krissberg describes the inspiration and process behind this “found” tune:
While I was traveling cutting records – I found this tune with the pamphlet and tape that shaped what this band is trying to continue – a peculiar writing that we based FWC on – to further their message. The recording was pretty rough and half the vocals were garbled to the point you couldn’t make them out. But it held the structure of the groove – this is the first Family song I worked out with other songwriters – Marley (lead vox) wrote the chorus and Andrew (guitar) sussed out the vocal melody for the 3rd verse. First collaborative (songwriting) effort for the full band – and I think one of the best tunes we’ve written. The tape had, “exodus from La” hand written on the liner notes for this track, we tried to do it justice, while retaining the original composition. It’s not our place to share the original, so you’ll have to imagine the progression at this point.
WATCH:
