The tracklisting tells a story in sequence of falling in love and all the trials and tribulations that a relationship entails… from a nervous and uncertain crush, through to the excitement of a blooming new romance, to ultimately; longevity, commitment and contentment.

A master at evoking a sense of time and place, these songs are peppered with vivid details and hard-hitting emotions. Joy and optimism sit alongside uncertainty, pathos and stark honesty. Stanley has also taken the opportunity to spread her wings stylistically, broadening her sound from her indie-folk roots to incorporate elements of electronic music, R&B, rock, pop and even hip hop – but all with her trademark storytelling which has attracted more fans with every release.

She utilised the talents of three different producers to bring her vision to life. Famed German producer/co-writer Tobias Kuhn (Milky Chance, Dean Lewis) worked on the tracks ‘Soak Into This’ and ‘New Feeling’.

“Initially there was a loose plan to record in LA with Tobias for a few more songs” Stanley explains, “but obviously that couldn’t happen this time around because of COVID. We were lucky to collaborate prior to that on these two tracks.”

The bulk of the album, including current triple j fav ‘Red Earth Dirt’, alongside singles ‘Hope It Lands’ and ‘Close Call’, were completed with fellow Cairns local Tristan Barton, best known for his film score work.

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Stanley says, “I feel super fortunate that I have insanely talented producers so close to me in FNQ, so COVID didn’t limit the opportunity to continue to write and release when I couldn’t tour. I work closely with Tristan in my band, so working with him felt very casual and we just took it song by song. He has such a wealth of knowledge and his own knack for great sounds, so it felt really easy. ‘Close Call’ probably took the longest, we just didn’t know what direction to take the demo, so went a bit back and forth on sounds, but I love how it turned out.”

For the sparse, raw and guitar-based moments on the album, Stanley turned to her friend Mark Myers (acclaimed for his work with Emma Louise, as well as being a member of The Middle East). “Working with Mark is always special”, Stanley says. “He’s the first producer I was ever introduced to and I’ve loved his production and his own music ever since. I like the more ‘real’ sound Mark brings and I find it’s a nice fit with the other songs. Previously I’ve been more of a “folk” artist, so the songs with Mark feel like they bridge a gap into the pop aesthetic that Tristan has brought, without totally shaking genres.”

The finished product contains zero filler. Opening track ‘Plant My Feet’ sets the scene beautifully, moving seamlessly from an intimate piano-based verse into a bouncy chorus with rich lyrical details about family ties and the uncertainty of youth. The Radiohead-esque ‘Favourite Songs’ showcases a dark new shade of Stanley’s musical palette, while the yearning ‘Keep My Cool’ is as bare and honest as any song she has ever released. The album closes with the title track, a surprisingly successful foray into full-blown country which closes the album on a lilting high note.

Put simply, ‘Real Love in Real Life’ is destined to be one of the year’s finest Australian albums, with the ‘Real Shows In Real Life’ Tour one not to be missed.