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)
I Say
The Insyderz Lyrics
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You can't understand what I read and stuff I say
You come around here saying that you want to get away
When all you have to do is hit you knees and start to pray
I can't understand my God up above
Because after all I do, He still gives me love
I can't see what you see insyde of me
But I know the truth and the truth will set me free
When I'm all alone, You're always by my side
The Lifter of my head, the Lifter of my pride
I cannot wait until I hear the trumpets sound
And you will come back and once again walk this ground
I give you all my glory; I give it all to you
Because of all the stuff you have done
And all that witch you do
For I can't endure the things I see in this world day by day
But I can always count on you and give you all my praise
The Insyderz's song "I Say" is a passionate expression of the inability to understand why the person being addressed treats the singer poorly, despite the fact that the singer retains belief in their God and feels His love. The lyrics express a profound confusion, with the singer unable to comprehend why the other person doesn't understand what they are saying, but implores them to turn to prayer for guidance. The singer also acknowledges their inability to see what the other person sees inside them, but they know the truth and that is what sets them free. The final lines of the song express a strong sense of faith in the singer's relationship with God and the promise of eventual redemption in the afterlife.
The song's lyrics appear to be deeply personal and connected to the writer's own experiences, as they contain intimations of self-doubt and the struggle to maintain faith in the face of adversity. The song's message is reminiscent of biblical passages that urge people to rely on God and trust in His plan, even in the midst of suffering or difficulty. The writer uses repetition and simple, straightforward language to express the song's core message, making it accessible to a wide audience.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I can't understand why you treat me this way
I am confused as to why you are treating me in such a manner
You can't understand what I read and stuff I say
You are unable to comprehend the things that I express and believe in
You come around here saying that you want to get away
You visit me and express the desire to escape from your predicament
When all you have to do is hit you knees and start to pray
Instead of running away, all you need to do is fall to your knees and pray
I can't understand my God up above
I am unable to comprehend the ways of the almighty God
Because after all I do, He still gives me love
Despite my shortcomings, God still loves and blesses me
I can't see what you see insyde of me
I am unable to perceive the innermost thoughts about me that you have
But I know the truth and the truth will set me free
Even though I am not aware of everything, I hold on to the truth, which will liberate me
When I'm all alone, You're always by my side
Whenever I am lonely, you are always with me
The Lifter of my head, the Lifter of my pride
You are the one who uplifts my spirits and my pride
I cannot wait until I hear the trumpets sound
I am eagerly anticipating the day when the trumpets will herald your return
And you will come back and once again walk this ground
You will return and walk on this earth once more
I give you all my glory; I give it all to you
I bestow upon you all the honor and majesty that I possess
Because of all the stuff you have done
I am grateful for all the things that you have done for me
And all that witch you do
Similarly, I am thankful for everything that you continue to do
For I can't endure the things I see in this world day by day
I find it very difficult to bear the myriad of negative things that occur daily in this world
But I can always count on you and give you all my praise
However, I derive solace from the knowledge that I can always rely on you and offer you all my praise
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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