An intimate anthem of awakening, CLOVER’s “Atlas” aches with weight and words unspoken as the singer/songwriter allows herself to breathe once more.
Stream: “Atlas” – CLOVER
We carry our pain like invisible weights stitched into the seams of our being – tucked into the hollows of our chests, buried in the bend of our shoulders, coiled in the tightness of our jaws and the ache of our lower backs.
It lives not only in our hearts, but also in our muscles and bones, etched into posture and breath, into the heaviness we can’t quite name – until we can. CLOVER’S new single is the moment of reckoning and unraveling; of facing our pain head-on and finally letting go. An intimate anthem of awakening, “Atlas” aches with weight and words unspoken as the singer/songwriter allows herself to breath once more.
Blue and green
Or somewhere in between
I wanna flatten it and throw it far
I can’t hold the world up on my back
Even though I have a savior complex
This is too complex
I may be your blood but I’m bleeding out
My hands are shaking
I can’t feel the ground
Atlas, I’m useless
Atlas, I can’t hold it like you can
Atlas, I’m useless
Atlas, I can’t hold it like you can
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering “Atlas,” CLOVER’s second single of the year (following January’s “Used to It”) and the title track off her upcoming debut EP, due out on May 30th. Tender and haunting, soulful and delicate, “Atlas” is a bittersweet – yet nonetheless beautiful – portrayal of the human condition: An experience filled with complexity, nuance, and more often than not, conflicting emotions. It’s a song born from and filled with hurting, as well as the seeds of healing – a “first step” toward unshackling yourself from the things that weigh you down, and finding the light in life once more.
It’s also a powerful introduction to New Jersey-born, Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter CLOVER, who unveiled her debut single (of all times) in early April 2020 and has been releasing a steady stream of singles every year since then. Sonically, CLOVER weaves together the warmth of folk, the polish of pop, and the heart of soul into a sound that feels both timeless and current. Drawing inspiration from artists like Lake Street Dive, Maggie Rogers, and Carole King, her music channels the spirit and vitality of the ‘60s and ‘70s while speaking directly to the rhythms and sensibilities of today. Her songs unpack everything from love and grief to sovereignty, confidence, and spirituality – and while no one song can ever sum up an artist, “Atlas” feels like a great place to start.
Drop the sky
watch the clouds sink under
With their heavy weights
dropping bombs like thunder
I can feel the rain
You know how to call a storm
You’re not a weatherman
You’re the elements
In human form
Atlas, I’m useless
Atlas, I can’t hold it like you can
Atlas, I’m useless
Atlas, I can’t hold it like you can
Can’t hold it like you can
As she candidly explains, her latest single comes from an especially powerful moment of realization that helped her shift perspectives – and find some respite from the baggage she’d been holding inside her.
“In the heart of an orange grove in Ojai, California, surrounded by the intoxicating scent of orange blossoms, I find myself on the phone with my mom’s spirit medium, Judith,” CLOVER recalls. “Despite the paradise around me, my world is collapsing – my dad’s trapped in an abusive relationship, deep in addiction, and heading to jail.”
“As I word vomit to Judith, she stops me and asks, ‘Have you ever heard of Atlas?’ She describes the Greek myth of Atlas holding the weight of the heavens, and suddenly, I realize – this is me. I’ve spent my life carrying the heavy weight of chaos, and my body is exhausted. ‘Atlas’ is my anthem of awakening – a raw reflection on the burdens I’ve been carrying, and questioning if they were ever mine to bear.”
Without realizing it, we adapt around our hurt.
Over time, our quiet burdens weave themselves into our routines, becoming part of how we move through the world – until one day, we wonder why we’re so tired, so tense, so far from the person we once were, and we begin to see that it wasn’t just time that wore us thin, but the weight we never put down.
Atlas, I’m useless
Atlas, I can’t hold it like you can
Atlas, I’m useless
Atlas, I can’t hold it like you can
Blue and green
Or somewhere in between
I wanna flatten it and throw it far
“Atlas” isn’t a ‘letting go’ in the sense that we stop caring; rather, it’s the moment we give ourselves permission to not be defined by our pain. It’s an inner rebalancing – and one so many of us desperately need. As CLOVER continues the lead-up to her debut EP, she reminds us that it’s okay exhale; we don’t need to carry the whole world on our shoulders.
Stream “Atlas” exclusively on Atwood Magazine and read CLOVER’s recently published Women’s History Month essay here. Stay tuned for more to come from the singer/songwriter this spring as she prepares to release her debut EP: Atlas is out on May 30th!
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:: stream/purchase Atlas here ::
:: connect with CLOVER here ::
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Stream: “Atlas” – CLOVER
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© Dani Sundream art © Desdemona Dallas
© Dani Sundream
art © Desdemona Dallas:: Stream CLOVER ::
