The Family Crest returns to the Levitt AMP Gallup Music Series
By Steven Hughes
Sun Correspondent
The Levitt AMP Gallup Music Series is celebrating its fifth anniversary with its next lineup of 10 free family-friendly performances throughout the summer season.
“We aim to feature a diverse range of genres, not just typical music commonly found in Gallup,” Michael Bulloch, executive director for the Gallup MainStreet Arts & Cultural District, said.
This year’s show features music from indie rock to R&B, and some metal performances.
In tandem with the music series, the Sun will produce Q&As that give a glimpse of the minds of these performers.
THE JUNE 28 PERFORMANCE
The Family Crest is set to perform June 28 at 7 pm at the Courthouse Square. The Family Crest’s successful return stems from McCormick’s composition skills in blending instruments with electronics.
Their demand is seen through their listenership, garnering thousands of streams on Spotify on their latest album, “The War: Act II.”
Liam McCormick, the mastermind of The Family Crest, and Laura Bergmann, a flutist, percussionist, and vocalist for the band, said the band is excited to return for a third performance in the Levitt AMP Concert Series. Their Gallup performance is in tandem with The Family Crest’s 2025 Summer Tour. McCormick said they choose the tour’s venue locations based on past performances they enjoyed.
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Gallup Sun: What are you all hoping to achieve during your third Gallup performance?
McCormick: “For me, it’s always been about affecting anyone that is watching in a positive way. We’ve always had a rule in the band that if you’re playing for 500 people, or if you’re playing for two people, you do your job and put on a good show. For me, I’m just looking forward to meeting everybody that’s there and supplying them with experiences.”
Gallup Sun: What’s the goal for your group?
McCormick: “It’s funny because in music, goals are constantly shifting. For us, the core element is making music and continuing to be able to get out to as many people as possible, and trying to be earnest in the way we do and how we approach people. We just want to make music.”
Bergmann: “Yeah, I think that, and encouraging other people to make music and to feel empowered to take up an instrument when they were a kid, revisiting it, or singing in the shower, feeling good about engaging in music making. It brings people joy. It’s good for our bodies and brains. It’s an important communal cultural experience, and people want connection more than ever.”
Gallup Sun: Why did you all think you’d garner such a listenership?
Bergmann: “We didn’t know we would have so many listeners. We never assumed we would. We just remain authentic. I think what has drawn people to our music is that Liam’s composition style is unconventional and unbridled. He doesn’t conform to industry standards. When ‘Beneath the Brine’ came out, it’s like a six-minute song, and people were listening to it all the way through. I think our takeaway from that was that we need to stick to what we’re doing. We’re not going to try to constrain Liam’s creativity or meet some model. We’re lucky to be independent.”
McCormick: “I agree. One of the key things is just doing it for the music and art itself. When you’re doing this, I don’t think growing at the expense of your art is a good thing. If people like what you do and glue to it, then you’re going to have a much better time because you’re putting something that’s crafted organically. In the beginning, we had no idea what to expect in terms of listenership.”
Gallup Sun: When did you last learn something that improved your musicianship?
Bergmann: “I would say that my musicianship is informed by a lot of different sources. Anytime I see a live show, I take something away from it. Most recently, I’ve been watching the Cowboy Carter tour, and every time I see Beyoncé perform, I try to apply that approach to what I’m playing. Her presence on stage and her dedication to excellence. Even something like that. I find inspiration everywhere, every day.”
McCormick: “I agree with Laura that you’re constantly learning. I’m thinking in big picture moments. During the last few years, I’ve been working on a side solo thing that has a lot more electronic elements than anything that I’ve worked with. When diving into that, I didn’t grow up listening to a lot of pop music. In the last few years, pop music has become incredibly advanced, and it’s a skill set in and of itself to take something that sounds simple but is complex. Laura has a keen ear for music and is always throwing me new things to listen to. As I work through it and study it and working on other stuff. I learned a lot about electronic music. You’re not just a composer; you’re a mixing engineer.”
Gallup Sun: What’s your next project?
McCormick: “‘The War’ is a very large concept album set. We have ‘The War: Act III’ that I’m currently working on and finishing up, and then a little bit after that. That’s where the focus is right now. As a concept album, it follows a story arc. This next record is driving. I’m curious to see what our fans think because it’s a little darker. It reflects our times a bit.”
For more information about the incoming performance in the 2025 Levitt AMP Gallup Music Series, email Bulloch at director@gallupmainstreet.org.
Follow The Family Crest on Instagram at thefamilycrest.
