Family Force 5

• 1. Introduction

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  Family Force 5 formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2004 when three brothers adopted stage names for their new band. Solomon Olds became Soul Glow Activatur, Joshua Olds became Fatty, and Jacob Olds became Crouton. Two friends joined them: Nathan Currin, who took the name Nadaddy, and Brad Allen, who took the name 20 Cent. Allen was later replaced by Derek Mount, known as Chapstique.

  Before settling on Family Force 5, the group had already performed under three other names: The Brothers, Ground Noise, and The Phamily. In 2018, it would briefly become FF5 as well. The band built a reputation for raucous, party-centric performances and an eclectic sound spanning rap to dance-pop. Across two decades, Family Force 5 released five studio albums, nine EPs, and two remix albums.

  In 2018, the two members still standing, Jacob and Joshua Olds, rebranded the group as FF5 and released the EP El Compadre on the 2nd of March that year. They played their most recent show on the 17th of March 2018, then the band went quiet. What pushed a group with so many names to keep reinventing itself? And what finally emptied its lineup down to just two brothers?

• 2. A Name Under Constant Revision

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  Solomon Olds, Joshua Olds, and Jacob Olds are sons of Jerome Olds, a Christian artist popular in the late 1980s. Under their father's guidance, the three brothers first performed as The Brothers. They released Fact and Reality in 1994 and RPM in 1995, both produced by Jerome Olds for Star Song Records.

  The group then renamed itself Ground Noise, a name the brothers themselves described as 'a really bad version of Third Day.' Two friends, Brad Allen and Nathan Currin, joined next, and the expanded lineup became The Phamily. A decade after the brothers' first records, The Phamily signed with Maverick Records for mainstream distribution, then added a deal with Gotee Records to reach the Christian market.

  'To me, and pretty much anybody that's under my age, most Christian music is a turnoff,' Solomon Olds said, explaining the dual deal. He wanted to be affiliated with 'something that is great music,' believing Maverick and Gotee together could deliver both audiences. But The Phamily name did not last. Prince's band, The Family, held a competing claim, and copyright conflict forced yet another rename before the newly christened Family Force 5 could release a single note under that name.

• 3. A Debut That Split Critics

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  Family Force 5 released Business Up Front/Party in the Back on the 21st of March 2006. The record produced hit singles including 'Kountry Gentleman,' 'Replace Me,' 'Love Addict,' and 'Earthquake,' each built around heavy guitar work. Christian critics disparaged the album for lacking overt Christian content, while non-Christian critics praised it for the very same reason. In March 2007, the label reissued the record as the Diamond Edition, adding three previously unreleased songs.

  The band also contributed 'Mind's Eye' to Freaked! A Gotee Tribute to DC Talk's Jesus Freak, a various-artists compilation. For the holidays, they released Christmas-themed audio blogs and recorded 'Grandma,' a cover of 'Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.' Another new song, 'Whatcha Gonna Do with It,' appeared on the compilation Hip Hope Hits: 2008, while 'Master of Disguise' surfaced only on YouTube after fan reaction to it turned out mixed.

  The GMA Dove Awards named Business Up Front/Party in the Back the Rock Album of the Year in 2007. Years later, 'Kountry Gentleman' would resurface in advertisements for the film The Warrior's Way and again in the 2019 movie El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.

• 4. Trading Rock For Dance

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  In June 2008, Family Force 5 released the Dance or Die EP, previewing three songs from an upcoming album. The full album arrived on the 19th of August 2008, trading the guitar-driven sound of their debut for a club-oriented, electronic dance style. World Magazine gave the record a favorable review. Critic Blake Soloman of AbsolutePunk.net compared the band's sound to mixing Mentos and Coke, saying he was still oddly pleased with the result.

  Dance or Die sold 17,000 copies in its first week and debuted at No. 30 on the Billboard 200. By the end of January, it had sold more than 50,000 units. The band then spent March through May of 2009 headlining the AP tour across the United States. In December 2008, they won Best Christian Rock Artist, Best Crunk Rock/Rap Artist, and Best Rock Album for Dance or Die at the Rock on Request Awards. Two of their songs, 'Radiator' and 'Love Addict,' were also released for the Rock Band video game network.

  Rapzilla described the band's fusion of rock, dance, pop, hip-hop, and crunk as creating 'an assault on the ears.' It left listeners unsure whether they were at a dance party or a rap-rock mosh. AllMusic noted a similar tension in the album. Its heavy metal riffs and comedic lyrics, the outlet wrote, formed 'a wall of sound that all but obscures the group's Christian outlook.' That same year, vocalist Soul Glow Activatur lent his voice to the opening track of Showbread's concept album Nervosa. It was a guest spot outside the band's own catalogue. Their next project, though, would remix Dance or Die itself under a new title: Dance or Die with a Vengeance.

• 5. Remixes And A Hospital Stay

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  Family Force 5 answered its breakout record with a remix album, Dance or Die with a Vengeance, released in May 2009. It featured contributions from The Secret Handshake, 3OH!3, and Danger Radio. Other remixers included Jasen Rauch of Red, Matt Thiessen of Relient K, David Crowder of David Crowder Band, and Alex Suarez of Cobra Starship. The album debuted at No. 180 on the Billboard 200, No. 15 on the Christian Albums chart, and No. 6 on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart.

  On the 5th of September 2009, the band unveiled 'Keep the Party Alive,' a new song released through a Target-exclusive EP of the same name tied to the Halloween line Skelanimals. The tour that followed, Dance Rawr Dance, brought along Breathe Carolina, Cash Cash, Queens Club, and i-Rival.

  On the 6th of October 2009, Family Force 5 released the Christmas album Family Force 5's Christmas Pageant, ten tracks including their own version of 'My Favorite Things.' The record debuted at No. 14 on the US Dance charts, and the GMA Dove Awards later named it Christmas Album of the Year in 2010. In mid-November, the band launched the Christmas Pageant Tour with House of Heroes, Remedy Drive, and All Left Out.

  On the 30th of November, Soul Glow Activatur announced on Twitter that his brother Joshua had been admitted to intensive care after his condition deteriorated, and that a kidney specialist had been called in. Doctors confirmed kidney failure, and Joshua began dialysis treatment. The band initially vowed to finish the Christmas Pageant Tour rather than disappoint fans, canceled a handful of shows as his condition worsened, then returned for the remaining dates. Joshua made a full recovery and was back on stage, though the band's next studio album would carry the scars of that scare into its own making.

• 6. Chasing A Third Album

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  In January 2010, the band toured Australia and New Zealand, playing the Parachute Music Festival and its offshoot shows. The following month, they toured the United Kingdom alongside Cobra Starship. That March and April, Family Force 5 joined the Rock and Worship Roadshow lineup with Mercy Me, David Crowder Band, Francesca Battistelli, Fee, and Remedy Drive. During the same stretch, they released their music to the UK market for the first time.

  On the 2nd of March 2010, Family Force 5 confirmed their first UK festival appearance, a slot on the Sonisphere festival's UK leg. They also announced six additional headline dates across the UK and Ireland. That December, the band ran its second annual Christmas Pageant Tour in the United States with main support from Forever The Sickest Kids, though a planned London date was canceled due to weather.

  Around this time, the band covered La Roux's 'Bulletproof' for the compilation Punk Goes Pop 3, released on the 2nd of November 2010. A few weeks later, on the 8th of December, Rock Sound gave away a free CD featuring a new version of 'Love Addict' and a demo called 'Every Night of the Week,' while a clip of another new song, 'Dang Girl,' appeared on the band's YouTube channel.

  The band confirmed a third studio album, tentatively planned for mid-2010, promising more crunk-rock and 'rock-and-roll' elements reminiscent of their debut. A three-song preview EP called III arrived on the 15th of April 2011. Guitarist Chap Stique told JesusFreakHideout.com that the full album would share the same title, and that possible track names included 'Paycheck,' 'Can You Feel It,' 'Get on Outta Here,' 'Not Alone,' and 'Tank Top.' In a separate interview with Alt Press, Soul Glow Activatur confirmed the III title, revealed a new track called 'Crash Down,' and said the record 'runs the gamut' from 'straight-up electro' to 'a little bit of redneckness.'

  Tooth & Nail Records announced it would release III, unveiling the cover art and track list on the 9th of August 2011. The full album arrived on the 18th of October 2011 to mixed reviews, with critics praising its musical diversity while criticizing the lyrics. The band supported it with the Tourantula tour that spring, from the 15th of April through the 15th of May, then played Warped Tour 2011 from the 26th of July through the 14th of August.

  On the 25th of January 2012, the band released Junk in the Trunk, a five-song EP of previously unreleased material and alternate versions. Their song 'Can You Feel It' was used that year in a trailer for the film Battleship. The 2012 tour, called Rise Up, ran from March through September, inspired by the same health scare that had sidelined the band two years before. It featured a short film by Isaac Deitz titled 'Vital Sign,' documenting the band's experience during the illness and its lasting effects. An extended version of III, announced in April 2012 as III.V, was originally meant to add five songs but instead became a six-song EP, two new and four acoustic, released on the 22nd of May 2012.

• 7. A New Voice Takes Over

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  Beginning in November 2012, Soul Glow Activatur hosted his own radio show, 'Phenomenon,' on Christian station NGEN Radio every Friday night at 10 pm. New songs debuted on the show, including 'Next Level' and 'Chainsaw,' plus the title track 'Phenomenon,' with the latter two later released as their own EP.

  On the 8th of January 2013, Christian group Capital Kings released their self-titled debut album, featuring Soul Glow Activatur on the track 'The Paradigm.' Weeks later, on the 25th of February, photos surfaced showing the band recording in Tommy Lee's studio, confirming a new album was underway. On the 3rd of May, they released a music video and single for 'Chainsaw,' featuring an added verse from Christian rapper Tedashii. The song had already featured on an EP titled Crank It Like a Chainsaw, released earlier that year on the 21st of January.

  Reanimated, an album blending new songs with remixes of older ones, arrived on the 18th of June 2013 to a reception ranging from mixed to negative. On the 23rd of September 2013, the band announced on its website that Soul Glow Activatur was leaving to focus on songwriting, remixing, and his DJ Phenomenon project, though he would remain involved behind the scenes. Updated photos showed Crouton moving from drums to lead singer, with Teddy 'Hollywood' Boldt joining as the new drummer.

  On the 30th of April 2014, the band signed with Word Entertainment for a fourth studio album, releasing the single 'Let It Be Love' alongside the announcement. On the 23rd of May 2014, they released their first video from the new record, 'BZRK,' featuring Christian rapper KB. The album's title and artwork, Time Stands Still, were revealed on the 26th of May, and it went up for iTunes pre-order the next day, the 27th of May. In 2015, the band played both legs of the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, the central and eastern route and the West Coast route. A remix album, Time Still Stands, followed on the 6th of November 2015, pairing six reworked tracks from Time Stands Still with two additional new songs.

• 8. Emptying Out And Coming Back

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  On the 3rd of May 2017, lead guitarist Derek Mount, known as Chapstique, announced he was leaving the band to pursue other projects. Keyboardist and original member Nathan Currin parted ways with the group shortly after, though neither he nor the band gave an official statement. That April, the band had announced a fifth album, Audiotorium, was almost complete, but label conflicts kept it from release. They toured anyway, performing the unreleased album live in its entirety at every show. That same year, they also quietly released an online-exclusive EP simply titled FF5.

  In January 2018, drummer Teddy Boldt, known as Hollywood, announced his own departure, leaving only Jacob and Joshua Olds in the band. On the 18th of January, the two remaining brothers released the single 'Fire on the Highway,' the first new material under their now two-person lineup.

  On the 8th of February 2026, after nearly seven years of inactivity, the band began posting reels on its Instagram account hinting at a possible reunion. They renamed the project back to Family Force 5 and hinted that Solomon Olds, still known to fans as Soul Glow Activatur, might return. On the 18th of February 2026, they confirmed the reunion would happen on stage at the Vans Warped Tour in Orlando, Florida.