UPPERROOM was birthed from a 24-hour prayer movement. Originating as a sacred space where people could gather to pray and worship seven days a week, 24 hours a day, UPPERROOM eventually launched a church in Dallas, Texas. Today, the flagship congregation hosts multiple locations across the Lone Star State. UPPERROOM’s original songs are simply the result of lives dedicated to worship and prayer. “We minister to the Lord morning, noon and night,” the worship collective states on their website. “Our music projects are an overflow of what we do as a house of prayer.”
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UPPERROOM released their debut album, “God You Are,” in 2014, inviting the world into their intimate, spontaneous worship sessions. Since then, they’ve gone on to release more than two dozen collections of music — regularly recording both in English and in Spanish. Additionally, the ever-revolving group of musicians and worship leaders has collaborated with Brandon Lake and Maverick City Music, among other high-profile artists in Christian music.
Many of their recordings feature spontaneous praise and ample space for reflection, offering something of a personal worship experience for the listener. Their popular, ongoing “Moments” musical anthology provides snapshots of spiritual awakening in real time.
While many of today’s biggest worship collectives choose to intentionally remain faceless with no traditional, handpicked lead singer, UPPERROOM has excelled at this priority over the past decade, allowing the focus of their musical pursuits to always be solely on Jesus. Regardless, several “leaders” have naturally emerged from the UPPERROOM ranks in recent years, including rising acts like Meredith Mauldin, Elyssa Smith and Abbie Gamboa. All three women have released solo projects, complementing their work with UPPERROOM.
Smith is best known for writing and recording the original version of “Surrounded (Fight My Battles).” Michael W. Smith (no relation) later brought her song to popular attention when he selected it as the title-cut for his acclaimed 2018 live effort, “Surrounded.” Meanwhile, Gamboa shines on the group’s latest single, “Give Me Jesus,” a stunning reimagining of the timeless hymn.
