Thought-provoking and epic, the soundscape of Chris and Conrad [Chris Kuti and Conrad Johnson] is what your heart would describe as a welcome push towards a closer relationship with our Savior. The positive messages from this rock duo will inspire your own direction in faith and spirituality.

In February 2009 the duo released the first single from their upcoming album – an exciting new version of the Hillsong United hit "Lead Me to the Cross".

"It was through leading worship at a number of camps this past summer, that God used the lyrics of "Lead Me to the Cross" to remind us to daily ‘rid me of myself'," says Johnson. "This is the only way for each believer to live out the purpose they've been made for. It was at that point we felt there was nothing more to be said about this struggle. We simply wanted to agree with the very prayer that is found within the song. It is a song that encourages us in our relationships with Christ each and every time we play it live and was a natural addition to the overall theme of the record."

Inspired by Jars of Clay, David Crowder and Lifehouse, Chris and Conrad also pull from the ranks of yesterdays 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.

“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, which has happened quite a bit.

Continues Kuti – “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.”

The music of Chris and Conrad is a well-structured maze of aural intuition. Each instrument and sound lends purpose to each track. Songs like "Buried Alive" and "Rescue" go beyond the standards on modern instrumentation.

“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 believe in to bring a fresh sound to every song. This often means pushing the envelope with sounds and tones that resonate with the current culture. But most importantly it comes down to the team of producers around us. In the end we have to trust that they can take what might be an ok idea and bring it to a better place, while protecting the overall message of the songs.”

In addition to their own music, Chris and Conrad stay busy recording other artists in their Lakeland, Florida compound - Inertia Sound Studios. When not bunkered down there, the two can most likely be found with their families or serving as worship leaders in their respective churches.

Chris and Conrad will release their VSR Music Group / EMI-CMG debut on May 5th, 2009.