B-Side Guys

Some songs emerge from calculated commercial instinct; others arrive as necessary survival mechanisms. CLOVER’s “Atlas,” released in early April 2025, firmly establishes itself in the latter category—a composition born from crushing familial weight rather than career strategizing.

The track’s origin story reads like modernized Greek tragedy: a conversation with a spirit medium amid Ojai’s orange blossoms while processing a father’s addiction and impending incarceration. This extraordinary genesis infuses every melodic and production choice with heightened significance. When the medium invokes Atlas—forever condemned to shoulder celestial weight—the mythological parallel unlocks both personal revelation and artistic direction for the Frenchtown, New Jersey-based singer-songwriter.

What elevates “Atlas” beyond trauma narrative is how CLOVER navigates between specific autobiographical detail and universal emotional experience. The production creates deliberate contrast between atmospheric elements suggesting overwhelming burden and moments of stripped-back clarity representing newfound awareness. This dynamic sonic architecture mirrors the song’s central question about whether these weights “were ever mine to bear”—a question that resonates far beyond the artist’s personal circumstances.

CLOVER’s vocal performance deserves particular attention for its emotional restraint. Rather than indulging overwrought melodrama, she employs controlled delivery that communicates more through subtle tonal shifts than dramatic flourishes. This approach reflects sophisticated artistic maturity, especially noteworthy given her brief but informative detour through NBC’s “The Voice” in 2018—a system she abandoned before premiere in favor of creative autonomy.

The track’s arrangement demonstrates CLOVER’s skill in bridging generational musical approaches. Drawing inspiration from Carole King and contemporary artists like Maggie Rogers, she creates a conversation between 1970s singer-songwriter traditions and modern indie-folk production sensibilities. This temporal blend serves the song’s themes perfectly—family patterns often span decades, requiring both historical understanding and contemporary processing tools.

Released as title track from her forthcoming May EP, “Atlas” signals an artist whose independence isn’t merely ideological posturing but essential creative practice. Having left Brooklyn during the pandemic to busk across America while creating sustainable merchandise through plant-dyed thrifted clothing, CLOVER demonstrates rare alignment between artistic message and personal values. This integration suggests that her mythological awakening extends beyond lyrical metaphor into lived artistic philosophy.