Cody Carnes approaches his work as a worship leader and CCM vocalist through a rock-oriented lens that frequently incorporates textures reminiscent of Coldplay and U2. His initial forays into music took place within Dallas-based Gateway Worship, after which he formed a duo partnership with Kari Jobe, who would become his spouse. The 2017 release The Darker the Night/The Brighter the Morning marked his entrance as a solo artist, yet his most prominent commercial breakthrough arrived three years later via the Top Three Christian single “The Blessing,” recorded alongside Jobe and Elevation Worship.
From childhood onward Carnes engaged with music, directing his first worship gathering while still in his teens. During adolescence and young adulthood he performed in several groups, among them Hit the Ground Running and Crimson Soul. His affiliation with Gateway Church eventually placed him in a prominent position within the church’s associated ensemble Gateway Worship, where he first encountered Jobe. The two began co-writing material, one result being “Let the Heavens Open” from her album Majestic. In 2014 they issued the EP All He Says I Am, wed that same year, settled in Nashville, and welcomed a son in 2016.
February 2017 brought a recording contract with Capitol CMG, followed shortly by the single “The Cross Has the Final Word.” Newsboys reunited in May to cut their own rendition of the track, while Carnes closed out the summer with the additional releases “Hold It All,” “Til the End of Time,” and “What Freedom Feels Like.” His debut full-length, The Darker the Night/The Brighter the Morning, arrived in September 2017.
Carnes resurfaced in 2019 with material previewing the March 2020 album Run to the Father, which included songwriting contributions from CCM figures such as Matt Maher, Cory Asbury, and Kristian Stanfill. That month also saw the premiere of “The Blessing,” a composition he created with Jobe, Chris Brown, and Steven Furtick that served as the lead single from Elevation Worship’s live album Graves into Gardens; Carnes and Jobe appeared as featured vocalists. The track climbed to number two on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart.
Building on that momentum, Carnes issued a series of standalone singles throughout 2021—“Too Good to Not Believe” with Brandon Lake, “Hope of the Ages” alongside Hillsong Worship and Reuben Morgan, and Maverick City Music’s “Firm Foundation (He Won’t)” that included his performance—before adding “Be Glad” in July 2022. One month later he delivered the live collection God Is Good!.
