It’s fitting that The Family Crest was born in San Francisco, a city known for its rich history of experimentation, innovation and progressive thinking. In 2009, two young musicians -- Liam McCormick (lead vocals, guitar) and his friend, John Seeterlin (bass) -- settled in San Francisco to record a cycle of songs that McCormick had written. For McCormick, there was explicit intent to include as many people as possible in the music-making, based on his belief that everyone is inherently musical when given the opportunity.

Throughout the course of a year, McCormick and Seeterlin reached out into the city and proceeded to record people of all ages and musical backgrounds performing their songs. The project took the duo from churches to living rooms to cafes, even up the coast to Oregon and Washington, all in its mission to build community through music.

The resulting album, The Village, inspired the band to develop into a proper performing entity, adding four classically trained instrumentalists around the nucleus of McCormick and Seeterlin. This growth also inspired a continued mission of musical inclusiveness. At live shows and in the studio, The Family Crest set out to play with as many musicians as possible. Whether a fan took the stage to be part of a group chorus, or contributed an instrumental part to a recording, they were considered a part of “the extended family,” which now boasts over 300 members.

Once the band saw its vision taking hold, even beyond its hometown, it looked back to the city that supported the family for new musical inspiration. Over the course of a week, The Family Crest, in its usual fashion, recorded a plethora of instruments in various homes and churches, as well as John Vanderslice’s Tiny Telephone recording studio, to create The Headwinds EP.

The Headwinds EP introduces the grand sounds of band’s new full-length album, Beneath the Brine, a sweeping soundscape befitting the oceanic theme of the title. Beneath the Brine showcases an expansive breadth of arrangements – from dark, classical romanticism to brass-laden sounds reminiscent of the Roaring 20s.

The result is nothing short of epic, as The Family Crest has seamlessly wielded classical chamber sounds and pop music elements. It’s the sonic representation of what McCormick, and many pioneers before him, saw from the edge of the West Coast: the enormity of the sea, with its depths, dangers and possibilities.

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