Interview: Clover County Aims To Get the Most From the Present Moment

Clover County spoke with Afterglow about her creative process, inspirations, and the struggle of being authentic in the age of social media after her second-ever festival performance at Austin City Limits. 

Written by Joseph Gonzalez

Photo courtesy of First Avenue

Clover County, whose real name is A.G. Schiano, grew up in Central Florida, but it’s in the music scene of Athens, Ga., where she found her comforting sound. With intimate journal entry-like lyrics and spellbindingly catchy melodies, she’s a new, notable presence in the world of indie folk.

Afterglow: Where did the name “Clover County” come from? 

Schiano: Playing shows in Athens, there's so many show posters everywhere you go and I wanted to, I don't know, slap a name on a poster that sounded inviting or like a place you wanted to go. From there, it kind of became like its own place in my mind, where I was writing these songs. I feel like it's this little village with little pink houses and Little League baseball games.

Do you think Florida or Georgia inspired your sound more?

Athens 100%. I feel like watching cool indie-rock bands and being around historical producers that were actually my college professors and my neighbors shaped me, and they taught me how to kind of walk through the industry — not like it's an industry, but like it's life — and [how to] treat people well and be cool.

I want to congratulate you on your debut album Finer Things! Is the success you’re currently having like you imagined it would be or is it different?

It's so different in the way that you think you're gonna bring all your best friends and your whole family along for the ride, and [you] realize kind of how lonely it is. You have to look out into a crowd of people and trust that they're there for you and to support you and have your best interests, and that's when it becomes just like you imagined, just when that stranger is singing your songs right back to you.

On that album, which song came together easiest and which song was the toughest?

I'd say “Midnight Crow” came together the easiest because I was truly writing from my heart and my little soul. It's a little bit about my parents' love, and the sort of a love story I want to see for myself one day, maybe. “Virginia Slim” was the toughy. I think that was the first song I'd written in a really long time, and the last song I wrote for the album. It took me months to finish it up, but luckily, [my producer] Brad Cook helped me finish the second half of it.

Being Gen-Z, you’ve obviously grown up in an online world, and I’ve noticed you’re quite active on social media promoting your music. What’s it been like for you creating an online persona?

It's a funny world we live in. I feel like I've kind of gotten tired of feeling like it's a persona. I try to be as authentic as I can. I don't think I'd call it a persona at all. That's just me. I think I'm actually trying to learn how to be sillier online and just be myself. Yeah, it's scary because you're like, oh, I want to post pictures of this cute boy I'm dating, and then you're like, but the world is evil, and I don't want to unveil my mysteries.

I love your vlogs though!

Thank you! You like them?! Oh, I forgot to vlog this whole thing! You just reminded me.

Talking about your songwriting process, what’s your method for turning a meaningful experience into a song?

Writing about it like a diary entry first, so I can remember all the really, really special details before I try to make poetry out of the whole thing. I think the song writes itself that way.

As far as listening to music, what are the things that you most value in a song? What are the things that make a great song to you?

For me, I'm listening to the words first always. So I think an honest declaration, some sort of statement, like, what are you trying to say? Do you really want to say something? Not that there's anything wrong with singing something that's just catchy and fun, but when I am listening to a songwriter's work, that's what I'm looking for. What are we doing here?

Who are some of your songwriting heroes?

Songwriting heroes would probably be Dolly Parton, of course, Sheryl Crow. Those are my big two.

Did the music you listened to change over time?

Most definitely. I grew up listening to a lot of beach country, so I love that. I love Jimmy Buffett.  James Taylor and Carole King are not beach country, but they're kind of easy listening, then I got pretty angsty in college. I found The Strokes in middle school and Modest Mouse in middle school, and that changed me. 

The start of Modest Mouse’s set overlapped with the end of your set I noticed.

Yes, that was a cool moment.

You’ve taken off quite fast. Later in life, when you look back at this moment, what do think you’ll have to say about it?

I hope I can say that I was present, that I was grateful, and that I was thankful. I think the scary thing every day when I wake up is, am I rushing through this? I want to be able to say that I did my best to be as present as I could.

Listen to Clover County on Spotify and Apple Music.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.