Change: An Interview With Stephen Stanley
"Nights like tonight are exactly why I’m hoping people show up, people that probably wouldn't come to a church. It feels more like ministry to me."
Stephen recently finished touring with Ashes Remain, and we had the opportunity to sit and chat with him about his latest EP "Change".
Interview by Cody Cooksey
May 8, 2026
Tell us a bit about yourself, how did you enter the Christian music world?
Well, my dad's a pastor, so I grew up in church. Around the age of nine, I was in a jet ski accident and lost hearing in my left ear. Since I was so young, my inner ears were off, and I couldn't walk very well. For about six months or so, I couldn't really play outside or anything. I learned how to play guitar for my mom, and she taught me how to play piano as well. I've been playing music ever since. Fast forward to January 2020, I signed my first record deal with Capitol. We just put out an EP today (May 8, 2026) and we're about to work on a third album. I’ve pretty much been doing music my whole life.
Your newest EP “Change” just released. Could you break that down a little bit and tell us the thought process behind it? What were you hoping the reactions are?
I did a tour last year called “Trustfall”, and we did twenty-eight shows, so we were gone for a long time. That was my first headline tour, and it was the first time in several years that I was actually on tour. I got to meet people and hear a lot of stories, and so the EP is filled with the first songs that I wrote when I got back home. I literally finished my second album, “Trustfall”, and almost immediately went back to work. “Change” and "Fly" were straight up rock, which I hadn't really done. I've done a little bit of it, but those are just straightforward rock songs. I was still trying to figure out what my third album was going to be, and this was kind of the early stages of it. I love these songs, but they're not going to be on the album. They're sort of the precursor. I'm glad they're finally out, and I hope people like them.
Christian music has continued to evolve. Where would you say you find your inspiration for the rock and grunge aesthetic, and how do you portray it?
I think a lot of it comes from my dad. He was a pastor, but he didn't necessarily listen to Christian music all the time. He loves 70’s and 80’s rock, and some 90’s too. My next stuff is really inspired by grunge bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, and Switchfoot, who is probably the biggest influence. That's probably the first music I remember hearing. They're a huge influence on this upcoming third album. With Christian music, you’ve got rap, Gospel, and bluegrass, but there’s also country, rock, and metal. There's CCM and pop too, there's really all these different genes, on top of worship, which is the biggest, so it's interesting. With this third album, I've been thinking a lot about what music sounding like 90’s grunge would sound like, but with lyrics that could be seen as a worship song. I want to have that song that people could sing, one that's worshipful and extremely pointed towards God. That's the coolest thing about these nights on tour. I've noticed the songs that people sing. There's one called “Idols”, and there's one called “Whatever It Takes”, and they are literally just you speaking a prayer to God, and I'm trying to lean into that more lyrically on the next record. I have a big TikTok and social media following, and a lot of people think that that happened first, and then I got signed to the label. It was actually the opposite, the label signed me first, and I didn't have any music out yet. I started on TikTok doing covers of songs from Imagine Dragons, David Bowie, and Billie Eilish, all kinds of music. When I first started putting out my own music, my first song was CCM. The reaction was like “What? That is so strange”. It was weird, because as I started developing and putting out my own music, a lot of those fans from the covers were still here, and a lot of them weren't believers, or didn't agree with what I was saying, but they liked the music. Tonight, when I go talk to people at my merch table, we get to talk about the Gospel, healing, and prayer. Night’s like tonight are exactly why I’m hoping people show up, people that probably wouldn't come to a church. It feels more like ministry to me.
When you're on the road, what are your hopes for each show? What are you hoping people gain from your songs?
I hope that behind the scenes, the people in my band are having integrity, they’re in the Word, they are strong leaders, and they have a good culture. That's the first thing. This tour has been an amazing culture, all the guys are super kind and believers. On stage, I hope people honestly have fun. I want them to get something out of it, appreciate the music, and hear the message, hear the Gospel, especially if they're not a believer. Ultimately, I do want it to be a fun night, I hope it's worth their time, because they're risking a lot coming out here. It's a Friday night, they're gonna be out late, and they spent money on gas. I hope they leave encouraged, and if they don’t know the Gospel, maybe they do now.
What is your life verse?
Luke 12, there’s a couple of verses. 12:22-25 “'Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?”” This whole chapter of Luke 12 has “The Parable of the Rich Fool” (Luke 12:13-21), there's “Confess Christ Before Men” (Luke 12:8-12), and there's also “have no fear” (Luke 12:32). Luke 12 is awesome, the whole thing. Normally I just say Luke 12 is my life chapter. Especially for this generation, as we’re the most anxious.
You can check out Stephen Stanley on Instagram and Spotify.