By Steff WillisMonday 30 Oct 202396five MorningsMusicReading Time: 2 minutes
Stephen Stanley is a Georgia based artist who makes music with immediate emotional impact, revealing a depth of talent that comes from years of devotion to his craft.
At the age of nine, Stephen learned to play his mother’s guitar after suffering an accident that rendered him deaf in his left ear, and quickly uncovered an innate musicality and remarkable gift for melody. By age 13, he’d added piano and drums to his repertoire, in addition to writing songs and leading worship at the church where his father served as a pastor.
In 2022 he released ‘Rest in Father’ and followed it up this year with his debut album, Divided Frame of Mind.
96five’s Tim Bain caught up with Stephen Stanley to learn more about the new album and how fatherhood has impacted his experience as an artist.
“People aren’t lying when they say it’s lifechanging” Stephen said of becoming a father in 2022.
“It’s definitely life changing… for the better though.
“The biggest change has been my lifestyle and the way I make music. I think for me at least, when we had a baby, you’re very aware of time and how quickly time passes. You have to schedule out more.
“I think in that, my songwriting process has been helped quite a lot.”
‘Whatever It Takes’ is the lead single from ‘Divided Frame of Mind’ and while it’s one of his favourites, it was the hardest song to write.
“It was really the chorus, that was the hardest thing to figure out. Originally the song was more like talking to someone and then it just wasn’t clicking… once I flipped the perspective and made it more of a prayer, me talking to God, it became more of a song of surrender.
“Leaving the past behind and wanting God to take over and do whatever it takes in me, that he needs to do.
“It’s totally surreal to have an album out in the world. It’s something I’ve thought about since I was a little kid, I’ve been playing music since I was nine so to have an album out is insane.
Check out the full interview in the video above.