B-Side Guys

There’s something magical about a love story that begins with throwing caution to the wind. On “Used to It,” the lead single from her upcoming EP Atlas, CLOVER captures that intoxicating mix of freedom and fear that comes with falling in love on the road. Recorded at the legendary Electric Lady Studios with producer John Rooney (Taylor Swift, Maggie Rogers), the track transforms a real-life pandemic romance into a shimmering indie pop gem that feels both timeless and distinctly modern.

The production masterfully mirrors the song’s emotional journey. Opening with intimate, close-mic’d vocals over minimal instrumentation, the arrangement gradually expands like a highway stretching toward the horizon. Rooney’s expertise shines in the careful layering of vintage-inspired elements – warm, Fleetwood Mac-esque guitar tones and analog synth textures – with contemporary pop sensibilities that recall Dua Lipa’s retro-future aesthetic.

CLOVER’s lyrics paint vivid pictures of nomadic love, each verse a polaroid snapshot: “Wake up in a new bed/Don’t know where I am/But I’m used to it.” The chorus’s central refrain, “I don’t wanna get used to your love,” reveals the paradox at the heart of the song – the simultaneous desire for both freedom and connection. The bridge section, with its meditation on counting fingers and breaths, provides an intimate moment of mindfulness amidst the whirlwind romance.

The voice that delivers these lines is equally compelling. CLOVER’s vocals walk a delicate line between polished and raw, with deliberate imperfections left intact to preserve authenticity. Her delivery in the verses has a conversational quality that makes the story feel personally disclosed, while the choruses soar with hard-earned emotional conviction.

What sets “Used to It” apart is how it transforms specific details of CLOVER’s pandemic love story – from a spontaneous Mexico trip to busking across 20 states – into something universally resonant. The track’s arrangement mirrors this journey from personal to universal, starting sparse and building to a euphoric wall of sound that reflects both the freedom of the open road and the expansiveness of new love.

As the first glimpse of Atlas (due May 30), “Used to It” suggests an artist who has found her voice by embracing uncertainty. It’s a promising debut that makes a virtue of its restlessness, turning the fear of commitment into fuel for creative and personal growth.