Georgia singer/songwriter Clover County found her whimsy again and turned life’s messy, magical moments into songs that feel like home on her dreamy debut album, ‘Finer Things.’
Stream: ‘Finer Things’ – Clover County
For me right now, the finer things are gas station sodas and sleeping in a Hilton instead of a Motel 6 when I’m on the road. That’s a luxury to me.
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Finding an artist who feels timeless in the strangest of times is rare – and a gift.
There’s a clarity in the way they write: Songs that aren’t forced or engineered for the masses (or for a viral moment), but instead raw, honest reflections of who they are. The irony, of course, is that the artists who aren’t trying to be anything other than themselves are often the ones who connect the most deeply. They write to emote, to process, and in doing so, to create connection.
This is why so many of us fell in love with music in the first place.
Clover County is one of those artists. The 24-year-old singer/songwriter (née A.G. Schiano) released her debut album Finer Things this fall, and it’s as rich as it is relatable. With sonic cohesiveness and lyrics that poetically bring life into focus, she’s cemented herself as a pure, intentional artist who’s only just beginning.
There’s a quiet wisdom in the way Clover County talks about the life experiences that led to these songs and stories that land with startling resonance. Despite being in her early twenties, she possesses an immense sense of who she is and who she hopes to become. That clarity allows her to write from a place of complete honesty, as if she’s processing in real time and letting us into every corner of her mind. This is the gift artists give us – when they’re willing to be vulnerable, they go places many of us hesitate to admit out loud. And when those places become songs, we feel a little less alone.
Just before Thanksgiving, we catch Clover County at home in the suburbs of Atlanta, finally getting a moment to breathe between tour dates. Fresh off a run of shows opening for Madi Diaz and still riding the wave from the release of Finer Things, she settles in to talk with us about the journey behind the record, the songs that shaped it, and the strange magic of turning messy life moments into country songs that feel like home.
Finer Things is out now via Clover County’s own label Undercover Lover Records in partnership with Thirty Tigers.
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:: stream/purchase Finer Things here ::
:: connect with Clover County here ::
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A CONVERSATION WITH CLOVER COUNTY
Atwood Magazine: I love the album so much. It’s one of those records you can put on and listen all the way through. There are no skips. It’s so warm and cohesive, and just top to bottom, I really love the whole thing.
Clover County: Oh my gosh, those are all the best things you could possibly say. Thank you.
I want to get into a few of the songs specifically, but first I’d love to talk about making the album as a whole. It really feels like you’re in the room with you when you listen to these songs. Was there one song that kicked off the album, or how did the process unfold?
Clover County: When I started writing, I didn’t know I was writing an album. I was just writing songs. I left Birmingham and moved back to Georgia for a year when COVID happened. I had to drop out of school because I couldn’t afford it. So, I came home and thought, Okay, let’s see how many songs I can write. This seems to be the only thing I’m doing right now.
The first song I remember writing was “Midnight Crow,” and then “Out Well” came soon after that. Then I wrote the Black Leather Daydream EP, which isn’t attached to the album but lives in the same world. From there, I just kept writing and playing shows. People would come up and say, “I remember that song, when are you putting it out?”
Eventually I connected with Thirty Tigers, and it was the perfect fit. They gave me the opportunity to record a full-length album, and at that point I had this pool of songs written from when I was 17 up until the week we recorded. On the very last day, I finished a song with my friend Cam (Cameron Neal) “Paradise Road”and we threw it on the record.
So the process was very much this mix of the unknown and what was always supposed to be. I just picked what flowed together, and a through-line appeared partly by accident and partly intention.
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I love to hear that that came from working with a woman. There should be more of that.
Clover County: Yes, definitely.
“Virginia Slim” was my introduction to your music. I heard it and it immediately made me dive into everything else. That line, “Hug around your neck, dive into your shoulder,” floored me. Can you tell me about it?
Clover County: Thank you! “Virginia Slim” was the first song I wrote after my first tour. I graduated in May 2024, got in the van the next week, and was on the road for two or three months. When I came back to Georgia, I felt completely lost. I realized I’m built for the road, and I didn’t know what to do with myself when I wasn’t being told where to be every day.
Then I did the worst possible thing. I went on a hike with this friend who I knew kind of loved me. He’s one of those guys who loves you so deeply. Like, he should probably be my husband. He’s just this storybook character all on his own. When I got home, I basically wrote a diary entry about our day and everything we talked about. The two of us just sort of spew poetry at each other without meaning to, and I took almost everything we said and turned it into lyrics. It felt so weird and so vulnerable that I left it alone for a while.
Later, I got the idea for the chorus. This realization that I used to be a junkie for love, or at least for romanticizing people. I’m very good at falling for people and then mining them for inspiration because I’m a writer. I realized that maybe it wasn’t fair. So the song became a kind of goodbye and an apology to him, but also to myself. It took forever to finish, and I only went back to it because someone told me it was worth finishing. When I brought it to Brad Cook in Durham, we had this instant soul-bond moment. He got it immediately and said, “All it needs is a kick-ass bridge at the end.” We made the demo that day. I don’t think I could rewrite it if I tried.
It was a lightning in a bottle song. I love that. Another favorite of mine is “Good Game.” I love the concept. It feels like every line is a gut punch. It’s clever and fun and so satisfying. Did you sit down thinking, I’m going to write a song built around this “Good Game” phrase, or did it come out more organically?
Clover County: That was one of my very first co-writes in Nashville with Will Taylor and Jaime McLaughlin. Will has his own indie-artist project, like your favorite artist’s artist. Jaime is this Music Row guy. He writes for people like Morgan Wallen. I remember thinking, Why are all three of us in a room together?
I had just had this ridiculous night where I left someone’s house at 5 a.m., went home, ate a sub sandwich in bed, woke up at 9 a.m., and had to be at the session at 9:30. I was exhausted and really trying to avoid talking about it.
So I started talking about my ex. I was like, “Yeah, he’s 6’3”, he’s an athlete, but he’s D3,” just making these petty, sassy comments. I refused to write a song about this specific person, but I couldn’t stop riffing, and they were taking mental notes the whole time. They were like that’s a song.
I later learned that writing these silly, sharp country songs is kind of their specialty. I was so tired I just thought, Fine, let’s get through this session. I’ll humor it.
You were running on no sleep!
Clover County: Yeah exactly. We basically turned my rant into a song. At first, I hated it. I genuinely thought, This will never come out. We can sell this to someone who doesn’t care about their reputation.
But then I played it for a few friends, and it brought them so much joy. They related to it in this way I didn’t expect. I realized I was capable of making music that made people smile and roll their windows down, instead of just rolling them up to cry. By the time we recorded it, I loved it.
Let’s talk about “Whiskey Cherry.” “Virginia Slim” was my intro to your music, but “Whiskey Cherry” might be my favorite song of yours. It’s so good. The production feels like this really rich, old-school country song, and I imagine it’s really fun to play live. I love the second verse and your cadence there. Tell me about this one.
Clover County: That was my first day writing in L.A. I was still with my college boyfriend, and we were so different. It was very “spooky girl and frat guy.”
He just didn’t understand the things that made me happy. My little sister once told me, “You used to be whimsical. You’ve lost your whimsy,” and it broke my heart. She came with me to L.A. on that trip, and even there, everything felt like a drag. I kept thinking, We’re in Los Angeles. You can do anything. Why are we not finding the beauty in this?
So for that session, I asked myself – what used to make me happy? What were the small things that made my day? And it was all these little spooky universe signs and magic. I wrote it in August, so I was already getting excited for fall and Halloween. He, on the other hand, would just down Jack and Cokes in college and spiral into this drunk, depressed place. I was like, That’s not helping anything. We need new hobbies. So the song is kind of a diss, but it’s also fun.
At the heart of it is this thought of if someone doesn’t love their own life or see any beauty in the universe, how can they really love me in a way that’s useful or sustaining? That disconnect became the song. It was a reminder to myself of the things that make me feel alive and whimsical again.
So many people lose sight of themselves and what genuinely brings them joy - it’s such an important reminder. The last song I want to talk about is “Stranger Danger.” It’s such a beautiful closer. I love the poetry of starting the album with “I’m not going anywhere” and ending it with “Think I’m gonna ditch this town.” It feels very human - how we change, how life changes. It’s a melancholy goodbye, but it also feels like looking forward to what’s next. Why did you choose this as the last track?
Clover County: That song is connected to the same situation that inspired “Good Game.” That night when I left someone’s house at 5 AM. “Stranger Danger” is about the start of that morning.
It’s all connected!
Clover County: Yes. That experience opened my eyes to the same theme that runs through “Virginia Slim”: I am very good at romanticizing people and places. I’ll make everything feel magical in my head, and then realize later that I’m the one who has to leave and fix things in here [points to self]. No matter where I go, I’m the only person who always comes with me.
“Stranger Danger” became a little goodbye to the city of Nashville, too. Every time I go there, some shit happens. It’s such a bubble. It started to feel like a pattern. I didn’t mean to lose a friend, but my behavior kept repeating. I’m almost 25 now, and I had this moment of, This isn’t sustainable. I’m not going to find what I’m looking for if I keep doing this. I’m not going to become the person I want to be by romanticizing everything and everyone but myself. Ending the album with “Think I’m gonna ditch this town” felt like acknowledging that truth and leaving the door open to whatever’s next.
I will say, that kind of is what your twenties are for, so you’re okay. If you were doing absolutely nothing, that would be scarier.
Clover County: That’s true!
Thank you so much for diving into these songs with me. Your music is truly authentic and inspiring - I can’t wait to hear more.
Clover County: Thank you. I appreciate you so much. With her first headline tour announced for next year and a deluxe edition of Finer Things on the way, there’s never been a better time to climb aboard the Clover County train. There’s magic in catching an artist right as they rise.
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:: stream/purchase Finer Things here ::
:: connect with Clover County here ::
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© Luke Rogers
© Luke RogersFiner Things
an album by Clover County
