Singled Out: Ashes Awaken's A Better Way

Christian melodic rock/metal band Ashes Awaken just released their debut single "A Better Way", and to celebrate we asked Michael Stover to tell us about the track. Here is the story:

When I first sat down to write "A Better Way," it wasn't about making a single, or even about starting the album cycle for Rise. I started writing this song almost 30 years ago! In fact, an earlier version of the song, without the pre-chorus and a totally different melody/chord progression, was performed live many times with the band, Forever Endeavor. I also recorded a demo version with my project, Angelspeak, about 15 years ago, that added the pre-chorus. I re-examined the song when I started the Ashes Awaken project. I knew I wanted to include the song, but it had taken on a totally different meaning to me, since the original versions.

This time, It was about telling the truth. I'd been carrying around this heaviness-stories of people close to me who had fought their way through addiction, through brokenness, through nights where it felt like hope was nowhere to be found. And honestly, I'd wrestled with my own darkness, too. Music has always been my release valve, and I knew this song needed to be both a confession and a lifeline.

The opening lines-"I was lonely, looking for someone to comfort all my fears, to wipe away my tears"-come from that raw place of isolation. That moment when you feel completely unseen, when the weight is too much, and the promises people make fall short. I wanted to be honest about that because I know there are so many out there who feel the same. But honesty without hope is just despair. The heart of the song is the pivot-"Sick and tired of promises, only Love can show the truth." That's the moment where everything changes. For me, "Love" with a capital L is Jesus Christ. It's the realization that there is something greater, someone greater, who won't break that promise.

Musically, I wanted the song to feel like the journey itself. The verses carry that sense of weight and longing. The chorus had to lift, had to soar, because it's about finding strength where you thought there was none: "There's got to be a better way, finding the strength I need to say that you're always there for me. Only Love can set me free." That's not just a lyric to me-it's a testimony.

When I wrote those words, I'm thinking about the chains I've seen broken, the nights that turned into mornings, and the grace that pulled me through. I'm thinking about friends who are still in the fight, and I'm praying they hear this song and know they're not alone.

"A Better Way" became the foundation for Rise because it captures exactly what this project is about: acknowledging the struggle, facing the darkness head-on, and still declaring hope. That's my mission. That's why I make this music. Because for me, there's always been a better way.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen and watch for yourself below and learn more here

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