Living Again band was formed in late 2020 at the height of the COVID lockdown in a city in North County San Diego called Bonsall (near Oceanside). Steve Sivulka (Living Again band dad/manager) told his 15-year-old son Joseph to get out of his room and invite his friends over to start playing music together. Joseph, who had been trained on piano from the time he was five years old, was soon joined by guitarist and vocalist Levi Sierra.
Soon after Levi and Joseph started playing, the need for a full lineup became clear. Savannah Hogan joined as a bassist and would eventually also become a vocalist and a core member.
During Covid, there were not that many places for a band to play out. A friend of Steve's connected him with Holland Davis, pastor of Calvary Chapel San Clemente, after hearing that they were doing outreach concerts at a nearby parking lot of an outlet mall. This is where Living Again started learning how to play in front of a live audience. This is also where the band gained an affection for setting up in random places, playing worship, and sharing the good news.
Those first two years of the band were a huge time of spiritual growth and revelation in Levi's life. With his newfound love for the Lord, his heartbreak and struggles with sin and identity, and his questions about eternity and purpose, he found it a natural response to put words to music. Levi would go on to write all the original songs that would appear on their debut self-titled album, Living Again, which is scheduled for release on October the 20th, 2023. Nate King worked with the band to record, mix, and master the album.
"For better or worse, music affects culture," says Levi Sierra. "I think we all want to use what God has given to us to point lost people to Him. I have no greater aspiration than to see spiritual transformation brought about by our music. No amount of money, streams, or fame can ever amount to the satisfaction we get from that. I want to use my life to do what will really matter in eternity."
Living Again released their single "Jesus Please" on 7/7/23. This is the first single off their upcoming album and the first release ever for Living Again. Within the next two months after this initial release Living Again's monthly listeners on Spotify went from zero to over 29,000. Followers on Instagram have gone from 500 to close to 15,000. "Jesus Please" talks about the doubts in Levi's heart and his struggle with sin as he began to really press into the Lord.
The next single Living Again released was a song called "Living Again." This is the title track from the upcoming album. "Living Again" was written to be a poetic version of the simple gospel. The band loves to strip this song down live and teach it to the audiences they play for in an attitude of worship.
Singles "Prisoner" and "Cry for Mercy" followed up as the third and fourth releases. Prisoner talks about the forgiveness we find in God amidst our sins and the desire to step into the freedom He has already bought for us. "90s-themedCry for Mercy" features lyrics taken from the 28th Psalm in a nostalgic 90s themed package that serves as a fitting celebration to end the album.
Living Again had their album pre-release concert featuring Mark Barlow, Hopeful. and Jettee band on Saturday, September 30th. Their debut album is now available for physical purchase on CDs as well as vinyl records.
The digital album was released on October 20th with a digital album concert release on the 21st. This concert included another popular local band named Isly. The band will also continue to play a steady stream of local shows, youth groups, and worship events to advertise not just their music, but to spread a message of hope to their generation.
Follow Living Again on Instagram for updates on future releases and shows here