Zoegirl Biography
ZOEgirl, a Christian pop-rock band from Brentwood, Tennessee (a suburb of Nashville), was active from 1999 to 2006. Known for their energetic performances and catchy melodies, the group originally formed under the name "ZOE" (in all capital letters), their favorite from a list of possible names they had created. Due to a trademark conflict, they added the suffix "girl" in lowercase letters, forming the name "ZOEgirl." The name ZOEgirl comes from the Greek word "zoe", which means "life." Through their music, ZOEgirl spoke about life in Christ. The Christian music trio, consisting of Alisa Noelle Girard, Chrissy Conway, and Kristin Swinford, was highly regarded for their sweet harmonies, dance-infused tracks, and charismatic performances. After getting married, they now go by the names Alisa Childers, Kristin Schweain, and Chrissy Conway-Katina.
With over one million albums sold worldwide and a remarkable achievement as the fastest-selling debut artist in the 26-year history of Sparrow Records, ZOEgirl's success grew with each new release. Performances at iconic venues like New York's Madison Square Garden, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Walt Disney World helped solidify ZOEgirl as one of the top female pop groups in Christian music.
ZOEgirl burst onto the scene in 2000 with their self-titled debut album "ZOEgirl", which included four Top 5 radio hits. Their sophomore album, "Life", further propelled their burgeoning career, placing them in front of hundreds of thousands of fans on stage with artists such as Newsboys, Plus One, Avalon, and Carman.
In response to changing musical trends, ZOEgirl shifted from teen pop to pop-rock with the release of “You Get Me” in 2003. Released as the lead single for their third album, "Different Kind of Free", this was their only No. 1 Christian adult contemporary (AC) single. It also peaked at No. 2 on the CHR chart, making it the second-highest charting ZOEgirl song on that chart. Following the album's release, ZOEgirl hit the road as a featured artist on the 25-city Shoutfest tour before embarking on their first headlining tour in early 2004.
The "FREE Experience" tour, featuring Superchick, Joy Williams, and Focus on the Family speaker Susie Shellenberger, was a huge success, drawing sell-out crowds in many markets despite a challenging year for the touring industry. ZOEgirl's album "Room to Breathe", produced by Mark Heimermann, Double Dutch (Robert Marvin), Josiah Bell, Shawn Shankel, Tedd T, and Dan Muckala, showcased their growth as singers, songwriters, artists, and women.
"I think with each album, we've been able to integrate more and more of who we are," Alisa said. "We've seen a need for young girls to have a different option when it comes to pop music, and we've done it without trying to fit into any kind of mold or demographic. We've really focused on who our listeners are and what they want to hear." In a fast-paced industry constantly chasing the next big trend, ZOEgirl's greatest achievement was their ability to connect with fans.
"Our audience is constantly expanding," says Chrissy. "We've got younger girls, teenagers (including boys!), and parents coming to all of our shows and they are having a great time. We've had some great conversations with them and we really love getting their feedback."
That feedback, whether through letters, after-show meetings, or one-on-one time with young girls on mission trips, translates into the real-life moments Chrissy, Alisa, and Kristin write about in their albums. "Room to Breathe" captures those poignant moments, with songs that resonate deeply with fans. The album's first radio single, “About You,” is an up-tempo pop melody about learning to take the focus off yourself and make it all about God. The track “Dead Serious” is a tribute to “all of those kids who really are standing up for what they believe, even though it's not always the most popular thing to do,” Kristin explains. The album's title comes from a song called “The Way You Love Me,” written by Chrissy and songwriter Lynn Nichols.
“This song talks about how it's so unfathomable to realize how much God loves us despite what we do every day,” Chrissy shares. “We can't ever fully grasp how He could love us so much that He died for us.” The lyrics say, You gave me room to breathe, a place to get away. I'm standing in your presence with a debt I can't repay".
One of the album's most honest and affecting songs is “Scream,” written by Alisa and inspired in part by revealing stories told by girls the group met on the road and during mission trips. “There are girls out there who admit to all kinds of self-destructive behaviors, like eating disorders, drug abuse, drinking, and cutting, all out of a desperate need to numb the pain and cry for help,” Alisa shares. The lyrics reflect this deep anguish: "Does anybody know how I feel? Sometimes I'm numb; sometimes I'm overcome... Do I have to scream for you to hear me? Do I have to bleed for you to see me? Because I grieve, and you're not listening to me." The song was cathartic for Alisa, who poured her own pain and depression into the lyrics. “It took me two hours to write the song, and in that time, I went through the pain of it and the healing. It was as if God just poured it out of me. It was so powerful.”
Having spent two years on summer mission trips, Chrissy, Alisa, and Kristin gained a renewed passion to reach the world. They launched ZOEgirl Missions, a way to partner with listeners in outreach. Their first official trip was to Quito, Ecuador, where they visited retirement homes, played with children in orphanages, and worked on various church-building projects. “If we hadn't done these trips, we wouldn't be the group we are now,” Alisa says. “The girls who have gone on these trips have inspired more songs than they know.”
Looking back on their career, it's the relationships, lives touched, and impact for Christ that fuel ZOEgirl more than anything else. “At the end of the day, in 20 years, I want to get a letter that says, ‘I gave my heart to Jesus at a ZOEgirl concert,’” Alisa shares. “To me, that's success. It's great to sell albums and win awards, but we aren't truly successful if we aren't leading people to heaven. That's eternal.” Chrissy adds, “If we were remembered for anything else, it wouldn't seem like we had fulfilled what God has called us to do.”
Their album "Room to Breathe" peaked at No. 108 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, making it their highest-charting album to date. However, its two singles didn't achieve the same success as their past hits. “About You” peaked at No. 5 on the CHR chart and No. 4 on the AC chart, while “Scream” peaked at No. 40 on the AC chart and No. 14 on the CHR chart.
ZOEgirl's first greatest hits album, "With All of My Heart – The Greatest Hits", was released on December 26, 2005, featuring two new songs: “Unchangeable” and “One Day.” “Unchangeable” was released as the lead single, peaking at No. 20 on the CHR chart and No. 27 on the AC chart. “One Day” was not released as a single.
ZOEgirl after 2006:
After Chrissy Conway married one of the Katinas in 2005, she began going by Chrissy Conway-Katina. When ZOEgirl disbanded in 2006, Kristin took some time off but began working on solo material in 2007. Although her solo album was tentatively set for release on March 1, 2008, she later announced she would form a new musical group, ColmanBlue, with Kelli Trontell. They recorded and released “Hey (Not Worth the Worry)” in 2009. In 2020, Alisa Childers was featured in the film "American Gospel: Christ Crucified", detailing her journey from the Contemporary Christian Music movement to Christian apologetics. She now runs a blog at alisachilders.com, providing resources for seekers, doubting Christians, and those looking to better articulate their faith. In October 2023, Alisa released a 5 song praise and worship EP entitled "Beauty from the Ash". Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.