The band was formed by Marc Martel and Jason Germain who were roommates at Briercrest Bible College in Caronport, Saskatchewan. Martel and Germain added fellow Canadians Jeremy Thiessen and Tyson Manning, along with American Corey Doak in 1999, and released an eponymous debut album independently on Slyngshot Records. Tyson and Doak left the band, and later on Downhere signed with Word Records. In February 2001, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee. The band soon added bassist Glenn Lavender, whom they had met two years earlier, after his band broke up. Downhere's independent album was reissued with the inclusion of bassist Lavender, and released in 2001 as their international debut, downhere.
Their second album, also released through Word Records was entitled So Much For Substitutes. In 2006 they were signed to Centricity Records and released Wide-Eyed and Mystified which led to the 2007 Juno Award for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year, and Covenant Awards for Rock Album of the Year and Recorded Song of the Year ("A Better Way").
In 2007, the band released two additional CDs that were unique. In early 2007, they released Wide-Eyed and Simplified, which contained new versions of 8 songs from Wide-Eyed and Mystified, in addition to three popular songs from earlier releases. Later in 2007, the band released Thunder After Lightning (The Uncut Demos). This album contained 15 previously unreleased demos which were considered for use on Wide-Eyed and Mystified but were not used. The CD also contained demo versions of two songs which were used on Wide-Eyed and Mystified. In April 2007, Downhere released Thank You for Coming (The Live Bootlegs), a six-song collection of live songs recorded in 2007 while on tour with Jason Gray & Lanae Hale.
Their next album, Ending Is Beginning, was released on September 23, 2008. The band released the songs for a few days and gave fans the chance to give input on which songs they should put on the album, and as a pre-release to Ending Is Beginning in June 2008 they gave away the whole album Wide-Eyed and Mystified as a free download.
In October 2009, they released How Many Kings: Songs for Christmas, a collection of Christmas songs. This included "How Many Kings", which was a bonus track on Ending Is Beginning. Between the release of Ending Is Beginning and On the Altar of Love, Downhere released Two at a Time: Sneak Peeks & B-Sides, a collection of older songs compiled over their career, as well as two new songs: "You're Not Alone" and "The Song You Sing". "You're Not Alone" was released as a single in May 2010.
In May 2011, the first single,"Let Me Rediscover You", from their upcoming album On the Altar of Love was released. The album itself was released August 23, 2011.
Seek
Downhere Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feel the urgency
The Designer of the heart is beckoning
Those He longs to reach
No whims of emotion
It’s hardwired to my soul
The call left unanswered
Seek while He may be found
Delight in Him in these times
This is the invitation
We’ve been waiting for
Seek while He may be found
Call on Him while He’s near
Don’t you fear, He won’t hide
(Just come like a child)
(Don’t you fear, He is here)
And He’s calling You back home
Bold, He makes no hesitation
Like a kid with a crush
Proved it all in the instigation
When I was way out of touch
Oh come all you thirsty
You broken and sorrowful
His justice and mercy
Will mend and make you whole
In the opera of life, the Composer is clear
Not clichéd or trite, His love is sincere
The lyrics of 'Seek' by Downhere are imbued with the call of the divine, urging the listener to heed the voice of the great lover who has designed their heart. The song begins with a call to listen to the "words of a quintessential lover" and feel the urgency of the divine voice that is beckoning the listener. This voice carries a call for those who have been longed to be reached by it. The lyrics underline the fact that the call of the divine is not just a fleeting emotion but is "hardwired to my soul." The urgency of the call must be heeded, because if left unanswered it will take its toll.
The chorus of the song offers an invitation to "seek while He may be found" and to "delight in him in these times." The song emphasizes that the call of the divine is the invitation that listeners have been waiting for, urging them to call on Him while He is near and not to fear because He won't hide. The song compares the boldness of the divine call to that of a "kid with a crush" who makes no hesitation in expressing his feelings. This urgency is contrasted with the call being "proved it all in the instigation" even when the listener was "way out of touch." Ultimately, the song offers an invitation to "come all you thirsty," irrespective of whether the listener is broken or sorrowful, emphasizing that His justice and mercy will mend and make them whole.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear the words of a quintessential Lover
Listen to the words of a perfect lover who desires you with all their heart
Feel the urgency
Sense the immediacy of the situation
The Designer of the heart is beckoning
God, the creator of the heart, is calling to us
Those He longs to reach
The people whom God desires to communicate with
No whims of emotion
There is no sudden change in emotions
It’s hardwired to my soul
The desire to connect with God is something that is ingrained in our being
The call left unanswered
Ignoring God's invitation
Will quickly take its toll
It will have severe consequences
Seek while He may be found
Take the opportunity to seek God now while he is available
Delight in Him in these times
Experience joy in spending time with God during this period
This is the invitation
This is the opportunity to connect with God
We’ve been waiting for
Something we have hoped and desired for
Call on Him while He’s near
Reach out to God while he is close by
Don’t you fear, He won’t hide
Do not be afraid, God will be there for you
(Just come like a child)
Approach God with innocence and trust like a child
(Don’t you fear, He is here)
You do not have to fear God's presence, He is with you
And He’s calling You back home
God is inviting you to return to Him
Bold, He makes no hesitation
God is confident and not afraid to act
Like a kid with a crush
Like a child who has a strong desire for something
Proved it all in the instigation
God showed His love through His actions
When I was way out of touch
When I was disconnected from God
Oh come all you thirsty
All who desire to quench their spiritual thirst
You broken and sorrowful
Those who feel broken or sad
His justice and mercy
God's qualities of fairness and compassion
Will mend and make you whole
God can heal and restore you
In the opera of life, the Composer is clear
God is the mastermind behind the grand design of life
Not clichéd or trite, His love is sincere
God's love is genuine and not overused or unoriginal
Contributed by Brody W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@inexpensivetrick
These guys are ridiculous!!! I love this stuff! Who knew?
@YHWHisYeshua
#402 on my top 2012 songs of all time! It's one that speaks the truth of His Word makes me want to listen to it over and over.
@regulluz
The Ultimatum song! So direct... freaky!
@Proggydan
@soulsofia Ditto
@giantsrock99
i wasn't gonna buy the song, but then I got to 2:20