A songwriting and worship collective based out of Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago, Illinois, Vertical Worship (formerly Vertical Church Band) debuted their expansive, adult alternative-styled sound in 2012 with Live Worship from Vertical Church. Some of their rotating cast of lead vocalists (known for recording careers of their own) have included singer/songwriters Meredith Andrews and Jon Guerra.

After signing with the Essential Worship label, Vertical Worship took their first album all the way to the Top Ten of the Billboard Christian and Heatseekers Albums charts. Its featured soloists included Andrews, Andi Rozier, Jason Ingram, and Seth McConkey, among others. They followed it in 2013 with the Vertical EP and the full-length The Rock Won't Move. The latter marked their debut on the Billboard 200, reaching number 58. They issued the White EP in late 2014 before returning early the next year with Church Songs. The album was their first to top the Christian chart, and it peaked at number 31 on the Billboard 200. They reached number 46 with their fourth long-player, 2016's Frontiers. Essential Worship assembled a ten-track eponymous collection in 2017.

Vertical Worship returned with two releases in 2018. Featuring Jon Guerra, Sean Curran, and one sonic society, Bright Faith Bold Future reached the Christian Top 25 in the first half of 2018; in the second half of the year, the group issued Planetarium EP, which was recorded live at Chicago's Adler Planetarium. The collective kicked off the next decade with the full-length Grace Is on Our Side. ~ Marcy Donelson, Rovi