Carolyn Striho wants to help people rise to the occasion.

The Detroit singer-songwriter captures that empowering sentiment on her latest rock single, “I Will Rise.”

“I wrote ‘I Will Rise’ after the 2017 Women’s March to invoke hope, especially after having had breast cancer, but to connect with all people,” Striho said.

“With so much competition and anger among people, it focuses on love and survival. It also shares messages of hope and strength and encourages people to come together.”

Surrounded by determined piano, acoustic guitar, synth, bass, and drums, Striho sings, “I will rise, my friends, and be alive / We will rise through the pain in our disguise / Smiling instead of crying / It’s so hard we’re trying / Every day is counting time.”

“People would hear it and they liked it. You could see it as a political song or a song about breast cancer and women, but I realized it could be for anybody,” she said.

“I start out by singing, ‘I will rise, my sisters,’ and then I change it to more of a universal reference with the lyric, ‘I will rise, my friends.’”

Striho’s hopeful anthem continues to build momentum and features a melodic, longing guitar line from husband-guitarist Scott Dailey at the bridge.

She sings, “I will rise / When I walk, when I walk / Into the dark / I will rise / When I walk into the light.”

“‘I Will Rise’ moves into a psychedelic, atmospheric middle section of double vocals and mystical, trippy guitar by Scott,” said Striho, who plays piano on the track. “It dares people to love and hold each other up—no matter what.”

Striho recorded “I Will Rise” with Dailey (guitar, bass, background vocals) and Lauren Johnson (drums) at Metro Detroit’s Inner Door Music and Pearl Sound Studios.

“In the beginning, I was just humming the melody and singing it without playing piano or guitar,” Striho said.

“It’s been developing, especially since we first did it live at the Pink Fund’s Dancing With the Survivors event a few years ago. It’s also in a PBS film, Those on the Front Lines of Cancer, so it’s been out there but not as a release. It’s finally pulled together and we recorded it.”

To bring “I Will Rise” to life visually, Striho collaborated with Dailey and Ann Arbor singer-songwriter Erin Zindle on a compelling new lyric video. It features inspiring images of solidarity for women’s rights and human rights interspersed with photos of Striho.

Besides sharing a new lyric video, the release of “I Will Rise” also represents another significant milestone for Striho: It’s the fourth new single she’s put out this year with Dailey.

“All four singles will be part of a new album that Scott and I are putting together this fall,” she said.

In the meantime, Striho and Dailey will be featured on WKLT-FM’s Garage With Terri Ray on August 25 at 9 p.m. The Traverse City, Michigan radio show will include an interview with the duo and highlight their new music.

Several other live appearances are also in the works, including Eastern Market’s “Top of the Shops,” a national poetry music show based in Detroit, on Oct. 5 at 6 p.m.