The Insyderz began as a project of Joe Yerke and Nate Sjogren, who led worship at their church at the time. The band found their break at the 1996 Cornerstone Festival. They began playing on their campsite, and wound up garnering the attention of Michael Sean Black and Gene Eugene, who signed them to his label Brainstorm Artists International. While that label folded soon after, the bands first album, Motor City Ska (1997), effectively established their presence in the Christian music marketplace and garnered the attention of Steve Taylor's Squint Entertainment.
Their subsequent release, Skalleluia, was probably their most widely known and successful album. The album, which was devoted to ska-based praise and worship, included an all-star lineup of Gene Eugene, Terry Scott Taylor, and Steve Taylor. Despite the backing of well-known artists the album faced criticism from the outset. Praise and worship music, heralded by artists such as Hillsong, Rich Mullins, and Matt Redman, was experiencing substantial growth as a genre at the time, and some accused the band of "jumping on the bandwagon". Skalleluia was extremely well received; Beyond charting on Billboard's "Hot 200", "Heatseekers", and "Top Contemporary Christian" charts, their rendition of Rich Mullins' song "Awesome God" won the band a Dove Award for "Hard Music Recorded Song Of The Year" in 1999. Part of the reason for its success was that most of the songs on the album were fairly recently written, and were widely known as contemporory worship songs. Covers included Twila Paris's "We will Glorfiy" and Keith Green's "Oh, Lord, You're Beautiful". Their manner of playing worship songs is still relatively unique.
While Skalleluia was an unexpected hit for the band, the sound of the band was significantly different than they had displayed on their first album. For their next album, Fight of My Life, the band returned to their previous sound. The band also made a point of returning to their ministry roots by turning down several major record deals and choosing to tour in secular clubs with ska bands such as The Skeletones and Jeffries Fan Club.
It was widely rumored for awhile that the Insyderz, who apparently recorded their first album in a garage (sounded like it, but not true), had in fact broken up. The truth be known they were sick of record label politics and decided to go "underground" until things got sorted out. Their webpage, rarely updated, had few changes for several years after the release of Skalleluia Too! in 1999. In 2001 a compilation CD entitled The Greatest & The Rarest (or alternately Tails of a Comet) was released. Many of the members of the band married including Nate Sjogren (drums), Bram Roberts (Trumpet), Beau McCarthy (Bass), Kyle Wasil (Guitar), and Joe Yerke whose gravelly vocals mark the band. The band decided to spend more time working and ministering in other locations, and other projects.
Most of their fan base dissolved during this absence, yet in 2003 they re-activated, appearing at Cornerstone, and releasing an album entitled Soundtrack to a Revolution. This album received little hype but is considered by most to be the best to date. After the release the Insyderz went through another lineup change adding Royce Nunley (Suicide Machines) and Dan Powers (Blueprint 76) on bass.
In the first half of 2005, the band announced on their website that they would be playing their last three shows in August and September of that year, which lead to confusion on whether they were the band's last three shows or the tour's last three. Later, in August of the same year, the site was updated to announce that the band would be breaking up after their final show on September 24, 2005, as a part of the I'll Fight Fest presented by The Salvation Army.
They later reformed in 2009 for a European tour with Good Weather Forecast.
In 2012, The Insyderz launched a kickstarter campaign to fund their next album, The Sinner's Songbook, and succeeded in raising the funds to do so, and was released on September 3, 2012 independently at http://theinsyderz.bandcamp.com
Discography:
1996: Rockin' the Hubcat (7")
1997: Motor City Ska
1998: Skalleluia!
1998: Paradise CD Single
1998: Fight of My Life
1999: Skalleluia Too!
2001: The Greatest & The Rarest
2003: Soundtrack to a Revolution
2012: The Sinner's Songbook
Current Members:
Joe Yerke - vocals
Nate Sjogren - drums
John Miller - bass
Matt Darcie - Guitar
Alan Brown - cornet
Tim Reynolds - trombone
Past Members:
Beau McCarthy - bass guitar
Bram Roberts - trumpet
Pedro Zapata Hernandez - trombone
Michael Lloyd - guitar
Kyle Wasil - guitar (until 2000)
Sang Kim - trombone (until 2004)
Mike Rowland - trombone (until 1998)
Todd Miesch - drums (until 1997)
Awesome God
The Insyderz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He sent His one and only son
Our God is and awesome God
He was sent from up above
To tell us of His undying love
Our God is an awesome God
When His blood shed that day
He took and washed our sins away
Greater is He that is in me
Than he that is in the world
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above with wisdom
And power and love our God is an awesome God
(repeat)
When He saw what had to be done
He sent His one and only son
Our God is and awesome God
He was sent from up above
To tell us of His undying love
Our God is an awesome God
When His blood shed that day
He took and washed my sins away
Our God is and awesome God
Greater is He that is in me
Than he that is in the world
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above with wisdom
And power and love our God is an awesome God
(repeat 5X)
Our God is an awesome God (2X)
The song "Awesome God" by The Insyderz speaks about the greatness of God and His love for humanity. The lyrics are centered on the belief that God sent His only son to Earth to save humanity from sin, and through His sacrifice on the cross, He washed away our sins. The song emphasizes God's power, wisdom, and love as attributes that make Him an awesome God.
The lyrics "When He saw what had to be done, He sent His one and only son" refer to the biblical account of Jesus Christ being sent by God to earth to save humanity. The verse "When His blood shed that day, He took and washed our sins away" highlights the Christian faith's central doctrine of atonement through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, which washed away the sins of humanity.
The song evokes a sense of awe and reverence for God, portraying Him as a powerful and loving God who reigns from heaven above. The repetition of the phrase "Our God is an awesome God" reinforces the central message of the song - that God's greatness is beyond measure, and He is worthy of our worship and adoration.
Overall, "Awesome God" is a powerful Christian hymn that draws listeners' attention to God's love for humanity, emphasizing the role of Jesus Christ in salvation.
Line by Line Meaning
When He saw what had to be done
God saw the need to save humanity and sent His son to earth.
He sent His one and only son
Jesus Christ was the only begotten son sent by God to save humanity.
Our God is an awesome God
God is amazing and powerful beyond our understanding.
He was sent from up above
Jesus Christ was sent from heaven to save humanity.
To tell us of His undying love
Jesus came to show us the love of God that never ends.
When His blood shed that day
Jesus shed His blood on the cross to forgive our sins.
He took and washed our sins away
Through Jesus' sacrifice, our sins have been forgiven and washed away.
Greater is He that is in me
The Holy Spirit inside of us is greater than the devil in the world.
Our God is an awesome God
God is powerful and amazing beyond our understanding.
He reigns from heaven above with wisdom
God is the ruler of the universe with infinite wisdom.
And power and love our God is an awesome God
God is not only powerful, but also full of love.
repeat
Continuing to sing the greatness of God.
Our God is an awesome God
God is amazing and powerful beyond our understanding.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, DistroKid, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Richard Mullins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ijohn: withers
Lyrics -- When He saw what had to be done
He sent His one and only son
Our God is an awesome God
He was sent from up above
To tell us of His undying love
Our God is an awesome God
When His blood was shed that day
He took and washed my sins away
Our God is an awesome God
Greater is He that is in me
Than he that is in the world
Our God is an awesome God
Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
With wisdom and power and love
Our God is an awesome God
Dawn
OMG this album brings me back to my pre-teen years. I miss Christian ska.
madmurdock100
There is no need to misuse God's name!
Superradness!
Best version I've ever heard! Literally! Ska and rock show how awesome God is!
Rodrigo Blank
yeah
norman smith
Look up awesome god by unashamed
Aglarend
Saw these guys in concert in Lansing, MI in 1999... when this song came on I literally flew to the front of the crowd and went nuts. My sister still talks about it to this day.
TheSmirkingWolf
I'm not religious, but I remember this song from when I was little. I still love it.
VenrockSharpshadow
+Andy “Akela” Wolf Zufall brought me here, but thats beside the point. Im not religious either, but DAMN this is good!
marcin
One of my favourite songs from Insyderz
❤️❤️
ezer k
Dude. Thank you. Great memories! Please don't take these down!