Even as UPPERROOM have opened campuses in cities far beyond their home base of Dallas, the prayer community’s praise & worship clings intensely to their humble beginnings. Founded by pastors Michael and Lorisa Miller in a tiny downtown office space in 2010, UPPERROOM stress raw expression, with songs growing organically from stripped-down live gatherings. On the popular “Surrounded (Fight My Battles)”—a version of which Michael W. Smith recorded in 2018—vocals are chanted as much as sung, while guitars and drums unleash furious waves of rhythm. The sound reflects their emphasis on Jesus Christ the person, both his acts and words.