The internet may never be able to replicate the experience of digging through a box of vinyl and pulling out something completely inexplicable, something that might have only ever been heard by a few dozen people. In those albums, you can sense an untold story. Such private presses, what one might uncharitably call “vanity projects,” were produced in runs of a few hundred copies but failed to find an audience. Disco fad-chasers, small-town power pop legends, Hank Williams devotees, husband-and-wife R&B duos desperate to show the world their love—these are the records that haunt garage sales.

And then imagine, one day, you pick up an album by a group called Family Worship Center, with warm ’70s tones, vaguely cosmic and religious lyrics, a whole hell of a lot of band members, a certain fervent vibe and—hey, wait, is this some kind of cult?

Portland’s own Family Worship Center is not one of those dusty, forgotten relics of the discount bins, but the band feels a certain kinship with them. Down to the album art, Family Worship Center uncannily recreates the essence of any number of cult-adjacent ’70s bands, lost in the California expanse, funneling the views of a charismatic leader into music that melds soul, roots rock, and AM Gold. With a live act that features up to 15 members, Family Worship Center even has the numbers right for a fledgling cult.

“Especially with the new record, a lot of the influences we had were with that private press stuff,” says Family Worship Center bandleader Andy Krissberg. “So, things like what Light in the Attic and The Numero Group have been releasing. That just resonates with me much more than the mainstream stuff, and I think the way that I see it is that a lot of these people didn’t have the funds to go in the studio to do it exactly how they wanted, but they still made it work. There’s passion behind it. 

“Once money’s being thrown at you, it becomes more of a job, and with these private press guys, you don’t get a sense of that,” Krissberg continues. “With gospel music, as well, these people are singing for a purpose; whether or not it’s something you understand or agree with, it’s there and you can feel it. With the internet, so much is being thrown at us at all times, but I think that when something truthful comes out, people are able to see that.”

As it turns out, Family Worship Center is more deeply rooted in mysterious found media than you might guess. Years ago, while traveling the country, Krissberg happened upon a 21-page booklet for a religious collective called the Family Worship Center. That booklet has formed the backbone of the band, but on its new album Only Visiting, the group actually interprets rudimentary recordings from the original Family Worship Center.

“The past couple records that we did, a lot of it was influenced by that [booklet], as far as imagery, our stage show, and lyrically, too,” says Krissberg. “But, this most recent record, that’s the first time we actually tried to redo those songs a little bit. It was a little bit of a challenge. It’s like covering the Beatles or something: it’s almost perfect, but you just try to get in there and put your own spin on it. We’re really lucky to have had so much time in the studio to work on these songs, so I think a lot of it was that we were able to do the material more justice than the original recordings were.”

Indeed, on Only Visiting, Family Worship Center sounds like the platonic ideal of so many ’70s bands that tried to cut through the noise of the Laurel Canyon sound and get some attention. With lush string and horn arrangements, honeyed vocals from both Krissberg and co-lead singer Marley Headrick, and not only an instinct for earworms, but an adventurous spirit for composition that finds the band flirting with progressive rock, Only Visiting is the kind of album that would make cult recruitment a cakewalk. 

Krissberg says that the original tapes that inspired Only Visiting will be getting their own rerelease sometime in the next year, as a sort of companion piece. As intriguing as it will be to finally compare the two Family Worship Centers, it’s also tempting to just let the mystery be.

Family Worship Center will play at Tractor Tavern this Sunday, October 4, with J. Roddy Walston and the Automatic Band. Tickets and more information can be found here.