Sequim assistant pastor, friends record album

SEQUIM — David Isaac Rivers wasn’t planning to record an album of his original songs when his friend Curry Winborn approached him with the idea.

Fast forward one year later, and Rivers — a musician, worship leader and assistant pastor at Calvary Chapel Sequim — was just a couple of steps away, and about $3,700 short, from having a copy of his own music in his hands.

As of Friday, his kickstarter campaign had raised $1,550 of that goal for the album, “Our Savior’s Alive.”

For more about the campaign, look him up on www.kickstarter.com.

Winborn, a musician and recording artist, approached Rivers a year ago about recording an album of his songs.

“I didn’t have the finances and I wasn’t in a space where I was ready for the project,” Rivers said. “(Curry) offered and I said, ‘Okay, this is what I can afford.’ And he poured himself into it.”

Rivers and Winborn have played music together in the local band Chandra Johnson and the Homeschool Boys.

Rivers said this is Winborn’s first solo project.

“It’s really incredible,” Rivers said. “Most of the instruments are played by (Curry), including the bass, drums, guitar … ”

Rivers also is no stranger to music or the stage; he’s performed at Calvary with several bands and artists such as Hilary & Kate, Chandra Johnson and the Homeschool Boys, and has been a songwriter for 10 years.

He released an album called “Psalms” in 2016.

Rivers’ new album includes six of his original songs recorded by Winborn at Calvary Chapel Sequim.

His album is about Jesus and his love for humanity portrayed through modern hymns Rivers wrote over the past four years, he said.

There also are “Salehs” included in the songs, where Rivers says things in worship and the music responds to his words.

“The whole album is a symphonic piece and bleeds together perfectly,” he said.

“The whole album is about Jesus and his love for us and the whole idea of the resurrection.”

One of his favorite aspects of the new album, he says, is bringing other musicians and artists together and recording them singing along to some of his songs to create a choir-like affect.

“We got people from New Life Church in Sequim, the King’s Way Foursquare Church worship team, Noelle Johnson, Kate Powers, my dad — who directs the men’s gospel choir, and recorded them singing along,” Rivers said.

“Not only are there beautiful Celtic, Irish, Pacific Northwest arrangements, but what sounds like a 60-person choir singing their hearts out in the background.”

While most of the work for the album is done, Rivers and Winborn still need to mix, master, and produce the hard copy of the album.

If they don’t raise the money, they will release it only online, Rivers said.

The Kickstarter campaign to raise money to cover some costs of producing the album expires on Nov. 15.

“We’re depending on the community to fund the project and to make it happen,” Rivers says. “We’re using Kickstarter as a way to do that.”

While recording an album is a big step for Rivers, he said the experience has been fun, rewarding, and brought him closer to Winborn.

“The real reason I went into the project is because I genuinely love my friend Curry,” he said. “We spent a whole year making music together and talking together.”

If the album is able to be produced into hard copies, Rivers said there will be a release party at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7, at Calvary Chapel Sequim, 91 Boyce Road.

If the project is not fully funded, Rivers said the album will be available for streaming on his website.

A video and demo about the project are available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1ta9WyGs-E.

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Erin Hawkins is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach her at ehawkins@sequimgazette.com.