Influenced by Jars of Clay, David Crowder and Lifehouse, Chris and Conrad also pull from the ranks of yesterday’s mainstream hit makers such as Chicago, The Police and U2. Not to limit their music to these influences, Chris and Conrad encourage and insist on working with a multitude of other writers in generating new ideas. The debut benefits from co-writes by some of the industry’s most successful talents: Sam Mizell (who co-wrote 2008’s most played song “You Are Everything”), Ian Eskelin (Francesca Battistelli), Andrew Osenga (Chris Tomlin), Doug McKelvey (Switchfoot), and Clint Lagerberg (Point of Grace).
One other important co-writer on their debut is Big Daddy Weave front-man Mike Weaver who brought his insight to the song “Who I Really Am” and had this to say about the ministry of Chris and Conrad; “Over the past couple of years I've become a huge fan of these guys... I've considered it a privilege getting to know them. They are such strong song writers and worship leaders to be so young!”
“Writing for us consists of a multitude of, what we like to term, hook ideas, which come to our minds as we’re driving around town”, says Kuti. “We typically have to record them onto our iPhones before we forget them. These ideas might not even have a subject topic, but they give us something to bring into a writing session, a conversation starter so to speak. Often times these collections of hooks and ideas turn into a single song, which is never a bad thing in our opinion.”
And their new project is not the only beneficiary of these ideas hastily saved for another day, Chris wrote “We Want The World To Hear” on the current Big Daddy Weave album “What Life Would Be Like.”
Their heart for artistry doesn’t stop with the songs they craft but also the soundscape they create. “Production is a big thing for us”, says Johnson. “In a market that is so saturated with great sounding bands both from a production and live perspective, it’s up to us and the producers that we worked with on this project (David Garcia, Greg Hill, Roy Mitchell-Cardenas) to bring a fresh sound to every song. This often means pushing the envelope with tones and textures that resonate with the current culture.”
In addition to their own music, Chris and Conrad stay busy recording and producing other artists in their Lakeland, Florida compound - Inertia Sound Studios. They currently serve as worship leaders in their respective churches. Chris also founded and leads the heavily attended Late Night outreach to Florida Southern University.
The 2009 Chris and Conrad tour with worship leader Ricardo Sanchez is sponsored by Teen Challenge.
The Chris and Conrad debut album will be released to retail on May 5th, 2009 by VSR Music Group and will be distributed by EMI CMG.
Always There
Chris And Conrad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I built up walls but you just break through
I'm trying to escape trying to escape,
But your keeping up the chase keeping up the chase
I break your heart but you just come back
You've open arms and I know
I can't ever make you leave never gonna leave
I can never walk anywhere without you
Try to turn my back but still I find you
Everywhere I go everywhere I know your always there always there
There are days I want to turn back
Sometimes its so tough to trust that
You gotta plan for me, gotta plan for me
But its hard for me to see, hard for me to see
There's one thing with which I'm sure
No high no depth no fear of failure
But Can pull me from your grace, can pull me from your grace
I can never walk anywhere without you
Try to turn my back but still I find you
Everywhere I go
Everywhere I know your always there, always there
When I'm walking in the light and faith comes easy
When I'm drowning in my doubt not believing
Every step I take with me all the way
Your always there, always there
And I won't ever be alone (I won't ever be alone)
No I won't ever be alone (I won't ever be alone)
I can never walk anywhere without you
Try to turn my back but still I find you
Everywhere I go, everywhere I know your always there, always there
When I'm walking in the light faith comes easy
When I'm drowning in my doubt not believing
Every step I take with me all the way
Your always there, always there
Your always there, always there
The song "Always There" by Chris And Conrad is a declaration of the unwavering love and support of God. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and confusion from the singer, who is trying to run away from God and build walls to keep Him out, but God's love and presence is always there, even when the singer tries to escape it. The song acknowledges that there will be times of doubt and fear, but even in those moments, God is present and guiding the way.
The first verse of the song talks about the singer's attempt to run away from God and build walls to keep Him out. The use of imagery such as "I have run but I can't lose you" and "I'm trying to escape, but you keep up the chase" portrays the singer's futile attempt to escape God's love. In the second verse, the singer acknowledges that their actions may hurt God, but His love and forgiveness will always prevail. The lines "I break your heart but you just come back" and "Love is holding me" express the singer's realization that God's love is stronger than any mistake they may make.
The chorus of the song is a powerful declaration of God's constant presence. The repetition of the phrase "always there" emphasizes the fact that no matter where the singer goes or what they do, God will always be present. The final verse talks about the times of doubt and fear that the singer may face, but even in those moments, God is there. The line "Every step I take with me all the way" portrays God's guidance and support throughout the singer's journey.
Line by Line Meaning
I have run but I can't lose you,
I've tried to get away from you, but you're always a part of me and I can't change that.
I built up walls but you just break through
I've tried to protect myself by building emotional walls, but you've managed to break through them and get close to me.
I'm trying to escape trying to escape,
I'm attempting to find a way out of this relationship, but cannot do so.
But your keeping up the chase keeping up the chase
You're pursuing me relentlessly, making it almost impossible for me to leave.
I break your heart but you just come back
I've hurt you in the past, but you forgive me and stay by my side.
You've open arms and I know
You accept me for who I am, flaws and all.
I can't ever make you leave never gonna leave
Despite my shortcomings, you're committed to staying with me no matter what happens.
Love is holding me love is holding me
I'm being held together by the love and support you give me.
I can never walk anywhere without you
You're always with me, even when I'm physically alone.
Try to turn my back but still I find you
I may try to distance myself from you, but you'll always be there in some way.
Everywhere I go everywhere I know your always there always there
No matter where I go or what I do, you're a constant presence in my life.
There are days I want to turn back
Sometimes I have doubts about our relationship and wonder if I should end it.
Sometimes its so tough to trust that
I struggle with trusting you completely.
You gotta plan for me, gotta plan for me
I believe that you have a purpose and plan for my life.
But its hard for me to see, hard for me to see
But sometimes it's difficult for me to understand what that purpose and plan is.
There's one thing with which I'm sure
There's one thing that I know for certain.
No high no depth no fear of failure
Nothing can separate me from your love and grace, no matter how high or low I may feel or how much I may mess up.
But Can pull me from your grace, can pull me from your grace
Nothing I do or experience can cause me to lose your love and support.
When I'm walking in the light and faith comes easy
When I'm feeling strong in my faith and everything is going well, it's easy to trust that you're always with me.
When I'm drowning in my doubt not believing
But when I'm struggling and full of doubt, it's harder to believe that you're really there for me.
Every step I take with me all the way
But no matter what, you're with me every step of the way.
Your always there, always there
You're always by my side, no matter what happens.
And I won't ever be alone (I won't ever be alone)
I can always count on you to be there for me.
No I won't ever be alone (I won't ever be alone)
No matter what happens, I will always have your love and support.
Contributed by Samuel D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.